


Is He The Right One?

by uwu_derp



Series: Is He The Right One? [1]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Additional Warnings In Author's Note, Angst with a Happy Ending, Coming of Age, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Roller Coaster, Eventual Smut, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Heavy Angst, Love, Mental Instability, Mikasa Ackerman & Levi Are Siblings, Rape/Non-con Elements, Romance, Suicidal Thoughts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-30
Updated: 2020-06-11
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:47:47
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 36
Words: 78,083
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24515635
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/uwu_derp/pseuds/uwu_derp
Summary: Mikasa was never the biggest fan of her life. In fact, she loathed her life. Her peers always showed no interest in befriending her by doing the complete opposite, bullying her. Then, one miraculous afternoon, a boy moves in next door and changes the world for Mikasa. Soon, Mikasa ends up falling for him.But then she begins to have doubts and one reoccurring thought fills her mind. "Is he the right one?"
Relationships: Levi/Petra Ral, Mikasa Ackerman/Eren Yeager
Series: Is He The Right One? [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1771666
Comments: 5
Kudos: 65





	1. New Neighbors

**Author's Note:**

> A lot of you may know this story from Wattpad, and that’s because I decided to continue the rest of this “is he the right one” series on ao3. Basically, ever chapter from here and on is what’s on Wattpad, I haven’t made any changes whatsoever 
> 
> HOWEVER! I _am_ making the sequel(s) on here, so if you wanna see those, then just look at the series page.
> 
> To everyone who doesn’t know me from Wattpad, greetings! I hope you enjoy my EreMika book!

Mikasa laid down on her bed, her back vertically across her mattress as she threw a small tennis ball to the ceiling. The small ball hit the ceiling and fell back down as Mikasa caught it and repeated the action over and over again.

Along her forearm were a few scars from cuts that were slowly fading. However, it didn't take a genius to know that these were self-inflicted cuts.

A knock sounded from her door, making the ebony girl freeze and miss the ball, letting it land on her face and squish her nose.

"Mikasa? You in there?" A low voice asked from the other side of the door.

Mikasa sat up and, in a rush, threw a loose grey jacket over her light pink t-shirt to hide her cuts but didn't touch her grey shorts.

Her brother, Levi, always hated it when he saw her cut.

"Y-Yeah." She said once she opened the door to see her brother.

"Since you're not doing anything, do you want to help me clean?" Levi suggested.

"Uhm, I can't." She said slowly, trying to give herself time to think of an excuse. "I actually wanted to go on a walk." She spoke.

Levi rose a brow as his eyes trailed over her body. When he saw her jacket, his brow was only raised higher.

"Why are you wearing a jacket? It's nearly 86 degrees." He asked sternly. Mikasa bit her lip, her brain fried from the heat and unable to think of an excuse.

"Please don't tell me that you've been cutting," Levi spoke with a tone that surprisingly held emotion, something alien to Mikasa.

"I-I wasn't." Her voice was quiet in response that it's a surprise that Levi even heard her.

Levi grabbed Mikasa's wrist and pulled the sleeves up and saw the cuts.

"Mika, why have you been cutting?" Levi asked.

Mikasa recoiled her hand to her chest as she used the pad of her thumb on her other hand to rub her cuts. "I wasn't." She spoke even quieter than before.

"Mika..."

"I said that I wasn't! Okay?" Mikasa rose her voice. She averted her gaze from her brother as a pit formed in her stomach.

_'Why am I yelling at the only person who cares about me?'_

She let a sigh pass over her lips. "Levi, I wasn't cutting. This is just an injury from school." She spoke even quieter.

Levi rose a brow but decided not to pry.

Nothing good ever came out of him prying in his sister's business.

"Okay," he breathily responded.

Mikasa closed the door slowly and waited for Levi's footsteps to pass before she sunk to the floor.

 _'I should go out on that walk. I need to clear my mind.'_ She thought.

And with that, Mikasa left their house.

Mikasa trotted through her neighborhood with a grey shirt and black jeans. Her forearms were clothes with long gloves that hid her cuts, the gloves that she always wore.

They were simple, black, fingerless, and long enough to cover her cuts. The gloves reached just below her elbow pit, and Mikasa wore them with every outfit.

She kicked some rocks as she approached a small bench, hidden in the park she was at. It was shaded by trees and Mikasa called it her little spot.

She sat down on the bench and opened a book that she had in her hand, flipping to the page with the bookmark.

 _'Chapter 28... I wonder what'll happen. So far Falco and Gabi are trying to escape... I wonder if that'll happen.'_ She thought to herself. ( _Ayeee manga readers, do you get the reference?_ )

And then she began to read.

Mikasa let out a sigh when she reached chapter 39. She didn't have her phone on her, but judging by how much the sun had shifted in the sky, the late evening was setting in.

Mikasa sat up and arched her back with a stretch, deciding to go home.

 _'I should go, Levi will get worried...'_ She thought to herself.

Mikasa walked, exiting the park in the process and entering her neighborhood.

She lived quite far from school to avoid seeing any of her classmates as neighbors, and most people who do live in her neighborhood are elders. It would be safe to say that she's the youngest in her neighborhood, despite her being 17.

When the sound of a truck beeping as it backed up filled her ears, Mikasa looked up to see a moving truck.

"A moving truck?" She muttered to herself.

A small car was parked beside the moving truck and when the door swung open, a woman with dark hair in a side ponytail exited the car. She had a young body that was clothed with a sundress, and the only reason Mikasa assumed for her to be in her late 30s was because of slight wrinkles that formed under her eyes when she smiled.

When the door to the passenger seat opened, a boy walked out. His hair was average and brown that was styled in a lazily and almost shaggy-like. He had big, emerald eyes that Mikasa could spot even from a distance, and his features easily resembled the woman with a side-ponytail.

Mikasa assumed for them to be a mother and son, for the boy looked quite young; around Mikasa's age.

Mikasa felt herself stiffen when the boy and she made eye-contact. He offered her a lazy smile as a welcoming, but Mikasa froze under his gaze.

 _'Will he be going to my school? Will he bully me? Please,_ _please_ _,_ _don't vandalize my house.'_ She thought in her head.

"Mikasa! What are you doing?" A male voice called out to the hair.

Mikasa's head whipped to the familiar voice to see her brother standing at the front door of their house.

She shook her head and shrugged the strange feeling of fear that she felt and walked—more like ran—up to her brother. When she was inside their house, she shut the door behind her.

"Mikasa? What's wrong?" Levi asked his sister.

He could see her get fidgety with her thumbs as she sucked her cheeks in. Her breathing was shallow and she couldn't set her gaze to meet her brother's.

She looked scared.

"N-Nothing." She managed to calm her voice with her response. "It's a school night, right? I'll go get ready for bed."

Mikasa walked past her brother and upstairs to her bedroom and shut the door.

She didn't want to get bullied anymore. She can't take it.

She walked to her closet and swung it open as she took out a small box on her top-shelf. She opened it, expecting to see razor blades, but didn't see anything.

Her heart sank. She quickly looked in her clothing drawers and dug, messing up everything that was neatly folded.

Her eyes snapped to under her bed and she looked for another box of razor blades that should be under there as well.

Nothing.

"Looking for this?"

Mikasa's head snapped to the disembodied voice and saw her brother leaning against her doorway. He held two boxes in his hand and Mikasa immediately recognized them.

"My razor blades." Her voice was so silent that she didn't even hear herself. To Levi, it looked like Mikasa just mouthed the words.

"Mikasa, I've told you not to cut many times. It doesn't lead to anything good." Levi spoke with a low tone.

"B-But..." Mikasa's voice trailed off, failing to think of an excuse.

"But what? You enjoy harming yourself? Mikasa, listen, I'm your brother. I'm here for you. Don't feel compelled to cut whenever you feel stressed, okay?" Levi asked.

Mikasa sucked in her cheeks again and chewed on them. It wasn't soon before she felt the metallic taste of blood in her mouth.

"Mikasa?" Levi's tone became stern.

"O-okay! I won't cut." Her voice was hesitant, but she tried her best to sound genuine. Thankfully enough for her, Levi believed her.

"Good. I'm going to toss these out." He said before shutting the door.

Mikasa frowned, her eyes flickering to the floor. It seemed as if her stress just got worse.

 _'Why do you care about me, Levi? I'm just some stupid girl. I deserve to die, just as my bullies say. I don't deserve this love.'_ Mikasa felt herself begin to tremble with her thoughts.

Tears swam in her eyes and she didn't have the will to force them away.

Mikasa was depressed. As someone who struggled with mental issues, Mikasa felt as if no one cared about her. So whenever her brother would show her kindness, she'd get confused.

This was why she doesn't have friends. She was scared of receiving kindness and gets bullied in return. Therefore, Mikasa hated herself.

But little did she know, tomorrow would be the start of a relationship that'll change her life.

Because tomorrow would be the day that she'll meet Eren Jeager.


	2. Friends?

Mikasa wore her father's oversized sweater the next day along with some grey jeans and black converse. She always wore her parents' clothing to be reminded of them from time to time.

She pulled a strap from her navy blue backpack over her shoulder and pulled her long hair into a ponytail. While she stared into her reflection, she could see the letters for a college name on her sweater.

She smiled, remembering that this was the college that her father and mother went to when they met.

 _'I want to go to this college one day.'_ She thought.

"Mika! Hurry up or else you'll be late!" Her brother hailed from downstairs.

Mikasa skipped down the stairs and saw her brother seated on the living room couch with a pair of keys in his hand. "Ready?" He asked.

Mikasa nodded. "I'm ready." She answered

She followed her brother to their garage and sat in the passenger seat of his 5 seater car as Levi turned on the car engine. She felt it hum under her feet as the garage opened her brother pulled out before he drove into the street.

Mikasa always rode to school with her brother. She couldn't take riding on the bus because of how little respect she receives.

She once got a power drink spilled all over her as a prank and needed to have Levi bring her some new clothing. Because he needed to bring her new clothing, Levi got late to a job interview that lost him a job.

Levi had been searching for a job because even though the two inherited money from their parents after their death, they still need more money. Therefore, Levi needed income.

"We're here," Levi said as pulled up into the parking lot.

Mikasa nodded and grabbed her bag as she exited the car. She thanked her brother for the ride before she walked up to the school entrance, swallowing hard.

 _'This is it. This is last_ _semester_ _before I graduate high school.'_ She thought, staring up at the school sign.

She took another gulp as she stepped forward. _'Only_ _6_ _more months... that's all I have to deal with.'_ She thought to herself, trying to calm down her thundering heart.

The hallway was littered with students and Mikasa kept her head low as she squished through the throng of people.

Some freshmen spoke about sophomore year and some seniors discussed their choices for their tertiary school.

When she reached her lockers, Mikasa swung it open and took out a few books. She took a peek at her schedule before she shut her locker.

When she closed her locker, she saw Annie by her side. Her breath hitched in her throat in fear when she saw that Annie was also with her clique at her side.

"Hi, Mikasa! It's so good to see you! How was your weekend?" Annie said with a strangely wide smile and a forceful cheery tone.

"G-Good," Mikasa spoke quietly.

"Oh sorry, I didn't hear that. Well, it's not as if I care what you did. I mean, you're just a stupid orphan by the way." Annie said. Hitch and two other girls who were by her side giggled.

Mikasa felt an unsettling feeling settle over her.

"S-Sorry," Mikasa said, even though she was confused as to why she was apologizing.  
Annie snickered at Mikasa's response, But she wasn't satisfied yet.

She turned on her heel, purposing whipping her hair in Mikasa's face. Mikasa sneezed as Annie walked off with her clique, snicker at Mikasa.

Hitch felt as if she hadn't left her mark yet so she shoved Mikasa's book out of her hand before leaving. Mikasa bent down to the floor, struggling to pick up her books. Some students snickered at her as others completely dismissed her.

When she finally got her books in her hand the bell rung, indicating that it was time for class. Mikasa went to her classroom before she got late, but she felt completely discouraged.

 _'I wish they'd leave me alone. They're just so cruel.'_ Mikasa thought.

Thankfully, she arrived on time and went to her seat. People stared, some gossiping to one another as they judged her completely. She sighed and walked to her desk which was the last row all the way to the left. She sat down and took out her book and read until class started.

"Alright, it's class time now so settle down. We have a new student today." Mr. Bozado said.

Mikasa looked up, although she already had a pretty good idea of who the new student might be. As if confirming her thoughts, the boy from yesterday—her new neighbor—walked in.

His hair was styled and he was sporting a flannel with some khakis.

"Hey, I'm Eren Jeager." He introduced himself, a sly smirk on his face.

"He's kind of hot." A girl whispered.

"I'd _so_ hit that." Another girl said.

"You think he'd be interested in Reiner's party tonight?" A male whispered to his friend.

Mr. Bozado scanned the room, looking for an empty desk. When he spotted an empty seat by Mikasa's desk, he pointed his pointer finger in that direction.

"Go sit over next to Mikasa." He instructed.

Eren nodded and walked up to Mikasa, the same smile on his face.

His smile slightly faltered when Mikasa pulled her hood over her head, hiding her eyes.

"Now class, turn your textbooks to page 198." Mr. Bozado instructed.

The sound of books shuffling together and zippers moving filled the room as the students took out their books and followed their teacher's instructions.  
  


* * *

"Hey, you're my neighbor, right?" Eren asked Mikasa. Mikasa nodded as she messily shoved her books into her bag.

The bell just rang and they were preparing to go to their next class.

"So, want to be friends?" Eren asked.

Mikasa felt herself freeze, accidentally dropping her book.

"Whoa, careful there," Eren said as he picked Mikasa's books up for her. He handed them back to Mikasa and she hastily grabbed it again.

"I-I'm sorry," Mikasa said quietly.

Eren rose a brow. "Why are you apologizing? You just dropped a book." Eren said.

Mikasa shook her head. "It's nothing. Sorry." She apologized (for no good reason) again.

She left class before Eren could speak again, her books in her hands as she rushed to her locker.

She knew why she's scared of him; it's because she doesn't want to continue getting bullied.

She turned a corner and immediately fell to the floor. The smell of excessive perfume slapped her in the face and she knew who it was just by that smell.

Annie.

"Oops. Didn't see you there." Annie chortled, her hand covering her mouth.

Mikasa tried to pick her books back up, but Hitch kicked them away from her. When Mikasa looked back up to Hitch and saw her erupt in laughter when she saw her face.

When Mikasa saw their gaze drift from Mikasa to someone else as their laughter abruptly stopped, Mikasa followed their gaze and saw Eren walking towards them on his phone.

"Damn..." Hitch bit her lip, her voice trailing off. When Annie elbowed her painfully in the ribs, Hitch looked up with a distraught face. "What the hell was that for?" Hitch muttered.

"You have a boyfriend, remember? This boy's mine." Annie said, her eyes remaining on Eren. Annie shoved past her friends, walking up to the male.

"Hey there. Is this your first day here?" Annie asked, pressing her chest up against Eren. She trailed her fingers up his chest as she bit her lip seductively.

"Uh, Yeah," Eren said, sounding bored already.

Annie hummed in response. "That sounds nice." She hummed, her fingers trailing down to his groin.

Eren shoved Annie off her. "Hey, I'm not interested in that. I have a girlfriend." Eren said plainly.

Mikasa stayed on the floor, watching this scene unravel.

"Oh come on, just one night." Annie stepped closer to him. Eren parted his lips to speak when he suddenly saw Mikasa on the floor.

"So... does your silence mean yes?" Annie asked as she bit her lip again.

Eren didn't respond with any words. He just shoved past her, completely dismissing her as he approached Mikasa.

"Do you need help?" Eren asked Mikasa.

Mikasa blinked, dumbfounded. She didn't expect anyone to help her.

She shook her head.

_'This is probably a prank.'_

"No." She said quietly.

Eren knelt down anyway and helped pick up her books. "Nonsense. Let me help." He said, despite the fact that he had already started helping.

"Why are you helping her?" Annie suddenly sneered.

"What?" Eren asked.

"The gloomy son of a bitch. Why are you helping her?" Annie repeated herself.

Eren scoffed at the way Annie addressed to Mikasa. "That's a bit rude, don't you think?" He said, helping Mikasa to her feet as he also stood up.

Annie, Hitch, and her friends, as well as Mikasa froze. They didn't expect him to say that. But instead of apologizing to Annie, like they thought he would, Eren just handed Mikasa her books, continuing to help.

"C'mon girls. Let's go." Annie scoffed, now irritated.

She walked away, her friend following behind her.

"Are you okay?" Eren asked Mikasa.

"Why did you help me?" Mikasa murmured.

"What?" Eren asked.

"I-I don't have anything valuable to pay you back with," Mikasa said quickly.

"Whoa whoa whoa whoa. Slow down. I never said that I wanted anything." Eren said.

"Then... why?" Mikasa asked again. Eren shrugged.

"Just wanted to help." He said simply.

The bell rung and Eren looked to his phone, checking his next period. "I have to go to my next period. See you around?" Eren said, waving as he walked off.

Mikasa stood in the middle of the hall, still dumbfounded by what just happened. She felt conflicted, but still strangely happy.

_'Was he... nice?'_


	3. Party

The next day ended with Mikasa at her locker, putting some books away into her locker.

"Hey." A disembodied voice said to the raven-haired girl.

Mikasa turned her head and saw Eren and immediately felt conflicted emotions fly through her head upon seeing him. She felt happy, thinking that maybe, just maybe, someone might want to be her friend. But then she also felt apprehensive. She thought that maybe this was just a prank and she could be walking right into his claws.

"Sorry, I just realized that I never caught your name," Eren said.

"M-Mikasa Ackerman." She spoke quietly. It's surprising that Eren even heard her.

"Hmm, I like it. It's a pretty name, just like you." He winked.

Mikasa blushed but instantly shrugged it away.

 _'This is all just a prank, Mikasa.'_ She thought.

"Since we're friends now, I want to do something today," Eren said. Mikasa rose a brow, slowly closing her locker as she finished putting her books away.

"Friends?" She repeated the word. Eren nodded.

"Yeah," he leaned up against the locker beside her, "are you busy?" He asked.

Mikasa shook her head, making Eren smile in excitement. "Great! So, can I drop by your house at 5?" Eren asked.

"I-I still don't know what we're doing." She said quietly. Eren smirked, leaning closer to her.

"You'll just have to trust me on that." He said. Mikasa felt his breath pan across her face and felt intimidated as she also swooned.

"O-okay." She said slowly. Eren smiled, backing away from her.

"Alright, see you then!" He said before he walked away with a wave.

Mikasa watched Eren, dumbfounded once again.

 _'He's being so kind...why?'_ She wondered. She quickly shook the thought away, noticing that most of the students had left school. She knew that she should get going home since she had to walk, so she left school.

* * *

Mikasa entered her home and tossed her backpack to the living room couch. She went to the kitchen and saw a note on the fridge.

"Working late tonight. You can order pizza, no parties, or boys." Mikasa read the note aloud. She scoffed when she read the word 'parties'.

 _'As if I have friends to invite.'_ She thought before her brows rose in realization. She did have a new friend in fact. And, as the stereotype goes, he was a boy.

Mikasa smiled, wondering if this friendship could go further before she quickly shook the feeling away.

 _'Idiot. There's no way that this relationship will go any further. He has a girlfriend.'_ She thought to herself.

Her head snapped to the time saw it was 4:57. It wasn't as if she was thinking of changing much of her appearance, so she just went upstairs to take her hair out of its ponytail.

She stared at her hair in her mirror before she squinted her eyes. She's been wanting to cut it for a while now. The sound of a car honking snapped her back to reality. Mikasa turned her head to the clock, checking saw the time.

5:01.

_'Already?'_

She left her hair down as she rushed downstairs and slipped on her converse. She took her phone and places it in her sweater pocket before she left the house.

On the street in front of Mikasa's house was a silver Toyota Prius. Mikasa saw Eren in the driver's seat and locked the front door behind her, leaving a small key under her mat before she entered Eren's car.

"You ready?" Eren asked. Mikasa nodded, pulling her seatbelt over her body.

"Ready." She spoke quietly.

* * *

Mikasa felt her heart sink when Eren pulled up into the driveway of a mansion. Colorful lights poured from the window and music seeped through the walls. This was Reiner Braun's house.

"You coming?" Eren asked as he knocked on the window to where Mikasa sat. Mikasa shook her head.

"N-No." She said, her body shaking.

"What?" Eren asked as he opened the car. "Why not?"

"I can't. I-I.." Mikasa's voice trailed off as her palms began to sweat.

"Whoa Mikasa, relax. It's just a little party. Reiner invited me here and I'd rather be here with you since I know you a bit." Eren said.

He noticed Mikasa remain in a state of shock so he gently put his hands on her shoulders. She looked at him, tears pooling in the corner of her eyes.

"It's okay. It's just a party." He repeated. Mikasa swallowed, letting out a shaky sigh.

"R-Right. It's just a party." She echoed. Eren smiled when he saw her anxiety diminish as he unbuckled her seatbelt.

"Good. Now let's get going."

The entered the house and Mikasa immediately felt overcome with music. The floor vibrated as the smell of cheap vodka filled the room. The people that yelled over the music gave her a headache and she already wanted to leave.

"I-I'm gonna go to the bathroom!" Mikasa yelled over the music to Eren. Eren nodded in response and Mikasa left his side. She squished through the cliques of people and soon bumped shoulders with someone.

"S-Sorry." Mikasa apologized and looked up. She froze when she saw who she bumped shoulders with.

Annie.

Of course.

"Oh, Mikasa! It's so good to see you here!" Annie said, the same fake tone staining her voice. Mikasa slowly nodded, her head lowering to the floor.

"Come on, don't be shy. Look at me." Annie said. Mikasa doesn't respond.

"Hey! I said look at me!" Annie suddenly demanded with a sharp tone. Mikasa's head whipped up quickly, suddenly stricken with fear.

"Look, I saw you walk in with Eren, you little bitch. I want you to know to keep your grimy hands off of him." Annie spoke with a low and threatening tone. She shoved Mikasa back when she finished her statement.

"You hear me?" She asked.

Mikasa nodded.

"I asked you a question so you answer me damn it!" Annie demanded.

"Y-Yes. I'll stay away." Mikasa said.

A smile tugged at Annie's lips. "Good." She quickly turned and grabs Hitch's cup of alcohol.

She threw the cup at Mikasa, drenching her sweater with alcohol.

Mikasa felt her heart sink when she saw her favorite sweater from her father now stained. She already began to reek of the alcohol and she began to get a bit woozy just by the smell.

"Oops! How silly of me!" Annie cried.

Mikasa looked at Annie again before she ran off into the distance. She exited the party, the tears that threatened to flow already falling.

"Hey, Mikasa! Where are you going?" Eren's voice called from behind her.

Mikasa turned around to face Eren and he froze when he saw the tears that stained her face.

"Whoa, what's wrong?" Eren asked. Mikasa shook her head and buried her face in her hands.

"This should t have happened. This is why I don't make friends." She muttered to herself.

"Mikas—"

"Take me home!" She hailed. "Please!"

Eren stayed quiet, unable to respond with many words. His response just was a simple, "Okay", as he agreed to take her home.

As they rode in Eren's car he couldn't help but constantly feel guilty.

He thought that becoming Mikasa's friend would help him forget about his past, but now it seems as if everything was happening all over again; a girl was in his car, silently crying and it was all Eren's fault.

"Mikasa, look I'm sorry—"

"Why do you guys hate me?" Mikasa asked.

Eren had now arrived at her home and she was just sitting in his car, not leaving yet.

"What?"

"Why do you all bully me! It wasn't my fault, it was just a stupid mistake!" Mikasa cried.

Eren's brows furrowed in thought as he observed Mikasa.

 _'Bully? I would never want to hurt her.'_ He thought.

"Mikasa, what's wrong?"

"You brought me to this party to bully me, didn't you? You know that I'm hated by everyone, b-but Annie probably paid you to bring me there. Just like everything else. You don't even want to be my friend, don't you?!" Mikasa asked.

"What?"

Mikasa shook her head when she realized how ridiculous she was acting. What was she doing? All he wanted to do was be her friend.

She let out a shaky sigh and wiped her tears.

"Goodnight, Eren." She left the car and walked up to her house.

"Wa—"

The door shut before Eren could finish.

Everything seemed a bit strange already. He just met this girl today and she was already crying and yelling.

What does she mean by 'it was a mistake'? Eren sighed.

He wanted to get to the bottom of this. He wanted to know what Mikasa did, and he wants to be her friend.

Possibly more.

He shook his head and let out a strange chuckle.

 _'I'm an idiot. As if she'd take a player like me.'_ He turned on the engine and backed up a few feet into his house property before parking in the curb.

 _'I want to know Mikasa. I want to be her friend. I want to date—'_ He sighs before he can finish his thought and thinks again.

_'I'm an idiot.'_


	4. You Saved Me

Eren sat upon his bed, playing a game on his PS4. He had a headset on as he spoke with his friends on the other side. He could hear one of his friends—Armin—speaking, but a thought niggled Eren's mind and he just couldn't seem to focus.

"Eren, you just got us all killed!" Armin cried.

"Aw, what the hell man!" Another voice, Connie, exclaimed.

Eren snapped back to reality, sighing. "Sorry guys, something's just on my mind."

Armin hummed. "What is it? You haven't really told us much about what's been happening at your new school."

Eren shrugged, but then he remembered that they couldn't see him. "It's as exciting as school can be. So, it's pretty boring."

"You meet anyone over there?" Connie asked.

"Just this one girl. Her name's Mikasa."

"Ooh, a girl?" Connie teased. Eren rolled his eyes.

"Ha-ha." Eren laughed sarcastically. Eren sighed, now leaning back into his bed. He stayed silent for a moment as he thought about Mikasa again.

_'Why was she mad yesterday? What happened? Did I do something?'_

"Guys, I think I'm gonna go." Eren proclaimed.

Armin huffed, "Alright, see you later."

Eren nodded. "See ya."

He turned off his PlayStation and then turned to his bedroom window which faced Mikasa's house. He pondered for a moment before he sat up, an idea popping in his head.

He could just go talk to her.

Eren decided not to throw on a jacket and just leave the house with a loose shirt and some joggers. He slipped on some sneakers, tying them quickly.

"Eren, where are you going?" He heard his mother call out to him. He turned around, seeing her in a black pencil skirt with a white button-up, her work clothes for her business.

"Oh, just going out to see someone." He admitted as he slipped his phone into his pocket. She raised a brow, a smile tugging at her lips.

"A girl?" She teased with a smirk. Eren smiled.

"Yeah."

"Your girlfriend?"

Eren shook his head with a chuckle. He and his mother had gotten close ever since his father moved to a different state temporarily for work.

"I'll be back soon," Eren said.

His mother smiled. "Alright."

Eren left the house, locking it behind him.

 _'It's a school night so she must be home right now.'_ He thought. He walked over to her house, ringing the doorbell.

No response.

He rung again.

Silence again.

The door swung open when he prepared to ring a third time and a male stood on the other side. He had black hair, like Mikasa, and a youthful face. His hair was in an undercut and he was shorter than Eren... _a lot_ shorter.

"Yes?" His tone was low.

"Oh, I'm looking for Mikasa. Is she home?" Eren asked.

The man narrowed his eyes at him, his grip tightening on the doorknob. Eren noticed this; noticed how suddenly defensive he became. "Who are you?"

"Eren Jeager," Eren admitted, not threatened by his small figure but he still remained cautious.

Levi narrowed his eyes, observing Eren's figure before he met his eyes again. "Mikasa isn't home right now." He said.

Eren rose a brow. He was surprised because he expected her to be home on a school night. "Oh, well do you know when she'll be back?" He asked.

Levi shrugged. "I'm not sure, go call her if it's so important." He growled.

"But—"

Levi shut the door before Eren could finish, leaving him standing on the porch. Eren sighed, rubbing the nape of his neck as he looked around in hopes of seeing the girl he searched for. When his search was fruitless (obviously) he let out another sigh before he finally began to leave the premise.

Eren felt his phone vibrate in his pocket so he fished it out to see a message from his mom: _Can you get some milk and juice from the store? I'll Venmo you the money._

Eren immediately typed onto the keyboard on his phone, replying to his mother's message: _sure thing._

A second or two later he got a notification, saying that he received money from his mom. He then decided to go to the store, walking over there instead of driving.

* * *

Mikasa grabbed her bag full of sketch supplies and a couple of razor blades, as well as a new book. She just finished shopping, despite it being late on a school night. She left the store and began to walk home, deciding to take a few peeks at the supplies she got. She eyed her watercolors and smiled weakly, her art and her brother being the only things keeping her sane in life.

She let out a sigh, looking back up as she waited for the walk sign to turn on to cross the street. A man was seated on a bench behind her, his hood over his head to cover his appearance. Mikasa grew slightly anxious at this but decided that it was nothing and just her being paranoid.

She crossed the street when the signal turned on but much to her dismay, so did the man. He kept his distance as he followed Mikasa, but she still grew anxious.

She turned a few corners in order to lose him, but he only got closer to her. Mikasa panicked, leading herself into a liquor store.

She took out her phone immediately, feeling her hands shake as she tried to look through her contacts. Nothing. The only contact there was Levi, but he just called her a couple of minutes ago saying that he'd be out looking for a job.

Her heart sank to her stomach, wondering if this was how she might go.

 _'Kidnapped by a man, and walking out of a liquor store no less. You should know better than to walk alone at night, Mikasa.'_ She chided at herself.

Mikasa found herself desperately looking through the shop windows in search of someone she knew. But the streets were empty and no living soul was walking on the sidewalk; all were either driving or in their homes.

This only made Mikasa panic more.  
She didn't want to be alone.

When she saw a figure come into view, she couldn't help but feel the slightest bit of hope. She looked over, observing the figure before her eyes landed on their face.

Eren.

The hope that hid deep within her irises swelled as relief overcame her. She immediately left the store, lifting her feet to quicken her pace to meet up with the brunet. When she was by his side, she tapped his shoulder. Eren pivoted his head, seeing the girl who he was looking for a while ago and smiled.

"Fancy seeing you here, Stranger." He said with a smile.

Mikasa nodded and tried to smile, but she still felt shaken form the guy who followed her. In her peripheral vision, she could still see him hiding in the shadow by the store, watching her.

"Eren," her voice was equivalent to that of a whisper, "p-please help."

Eren rose a brow, concern overcoming him, "what's wrong?" He asked.

"Th-There's a guy... f-following me," Mikasa explained slowly, her voice shaky.

Eren shifted his gaze behind Mikasa's shoulder, squinting his eyes before he finally saw a suspicious male observing the two. Eren nodded, knowingly already what he needed to do and he wrapped an arm around Mikasa's shoulder.

Mikasa jumped slightly at his action, feeling her stomach twist and turn. However, she didn't refuse Eren. She let him guide her across the sideway, across the street, and into their neighborhood.

When Eren was by the front of Mikasa's house, he removed his arm from her shoulder. Mikasa felt a bit disappointed, already becoming fond of Eren's arm around her shoulder. She shook her head then quickly, rejecting the feeling.

Mikasa stepped forward and walked until she was at her porch by her front door. She turned, seeing Eren still watching her.

She lifted her hand up to wave goodbye but Eren spoke up before she could do so.

"Mika, before you go, I uhh... I want apologize for last night." He said.

Mikasa frowned, her mood now turning sour.

"I shouldn't have just brought you to the party like that. I'm sorry, I really am." He said. Mikasa looked over his features, seeing the genuine emotion sprawled on his expression. This apology didn't seem fake, it seemed genuine.

It felt genuine.

Mikasa weakly smiled at him, parting her lips. "It's okay, Eren." She spoke softly.

Eren reciprocated her weak smile, his being much bigger. Despite her response being simple, he still felt happy. Her response gave him closure. Whether it was for the fact that Eren was just desperate to hear her accept his apology or if it was because of how soft and gentle her tone was, Eren didn't care.

All he cared about was the relief he felt and the smile that painted the raven-haired girl's face.

Mikasa lifted her hand, waving slowly to Eren. Eren rose his own hand, waving back.

"Take care, Mikasa." Eren said.

Mikasa picked up the key from under her mat, unlocked her front door, and then turned the doorknob. She looked back to Eren once more, waving again.

"You two, Eren."


	5. You Owe Me

Mikasa sat on a bench in the school's quad, reading the book she held in her hands. Since he needed to go to an interview, Levi dropped Mikasa off at school early, making her arrive early. And Mikasa had to admit to herself that being at school this early was quite alien to her, but she did enjoy it. The soft sounds of footsteps as the students slowly entered the campus, how quiet it was, it was all so likable to the girl.

Man, what she would give to have a day at school filled with peace and quiet, devoid of Annie's bullying.

When the footsteps became louder, Mikasa noticed that more people had begun to pour in. She stood up, picking up her binder that was placed on her lap in the process. She stuck a bookmark at the page of the book she was at before closing the book.

Looking back up, Mikasa hoped to see Eren. When the brunet boy with unmistakable emerald eyes wasn't anywhere in her line of sight, Mikasa sighed and turned around to find a place where Annie wouldn't find her to bully her.

Mikasa jumped slightly when in front of her was the brunet she had been searching for She smiled and looked up to see that the boy was smiling back at her.

"Hey," He greeted.

"Hi," Mikasa replied.

Eren turned, walking ahead of Mikasa and nodding in a way that told her to come with. She understood, following quickly behind him.

"I've been meaning to ask... there was a guy at your house the other day. Is that your dad?" Eren asked.

Mikasa exhaled slowly, shaking her head. "No, that's my brother, Levi." She answered.

Eren nodded in response. "What's your dad like?" He asked. Mikasa stiffened at his question, her legs freezing under her for a second before she walked again.

"He was nice. He was super extroverted and I don't think there was a time in his life where he wasn't smiling or trying to lighten up a negative mood." She said.

Eren rose a questioning brow at her wording. " _Was_?"

Mikasa nodded. "Both of my parents... they died when I was younger. A break-in when my brother and I were at our aunt's and when we came back... they were..." Mikasa paused, taking in a couple of deep breaths.

Eren placed at hand on her shoulder sympathetically and Mikasa looked up to see worry written all over his features. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't know." He apologized. Mikasa shook her head.

"It's okay, you couldn't've known. And plus, if we're friends then it's better that you find out about this sooner than later... I guess." Mikasa muttered.

Eren didn't stop feeling guilty for asking his question, but he didn't show it. Instead, he smiled, nodded, and then agreed with her. "Right."

There was silence again but then Eren spoke up. "Oh right, since I saved you last night, want to go out today? Since you owe me." Eren said.

Mikasa blinked, surprised that Eren already wanted to meet outside of school. But she nodded nonetheless, already feeling herself get excited about what they could possibly be doing. But then she blinked, gulped, and stopped walking.

Then she wondered if this would be like Reiner's party?

Eren noticed that she stopped walking and he stopped as well, looking back to her. When he saw the sudden fear in her face his eyes widened in realization.

"It won't be like last time!" He blurted out.

Mikasa stared at him, surprised at how he rose his voice. It was as if he _truly_ wanted to reassure her that he wanted only for them to have a good time with no ulterior motives. But then, Mikasa nodded.

"Okay.." she breathed slowly, "we can go do something."

For the rest of the school day, Mikasa's mind remained on the thought that she'd be hanging out with Eren after school. She felt joy, but also fear. She trusted him, but still felt wary. She worried that something similar to what happened last time would happen again. She worried that this was a trap and Eren truly didn't want to be her friend. She worried that... that if this friendship doesn't work out that it would be the last straw for her.

She was scared because she was nearing her limit. Her limit for wanting to live. She didn't want the end of this friendship to also be the end of her life, but she also didn't want to think like this.

She wanted to trust Eren.

So she will.

Starting today.

When Mikasa arrived back home she already found herself running up the stairs to her bedroom. She greeted Levi, but she was in such a rush that Levi hadn't even noticed.

Mikasa put on some clothing, something she'd never usually wear. It was still dark in color and aesthetic, as most of Mikasa's outfits, but it was still quite revealing. She also curled her hair, weirdly ecstatic about the upcoming event with Eren.

And then, once she was settled, Mikasa sat impatiently in her room, looking at her curled hair. She looked over her outfit again, now thinking that maybe this was too much.

Her outfit simply consisted of her essential black fingerless gloves, camo pants, and a black shirt, but she still felt as if this was excessive. But then again, her pants hugged her hips extremely tight, making her butt look plumper than usual and her shirt exposed her cleavage, so that could be the reason why she felt this way.

However, before Mikasa could change her outfit and comply with the pressure that was set upon her by her own thoughts, the doorbell rang. She jumped, picking up her phone and sliding it into her back pocket.

She skipped downstairs, seeing Eren standing by the door with Levi speaking to him. Levi looked tense, but Eren didn't seem to even notice.

When Eren's eyes suddenly set over Mikasa his lips quirked upwards into a small smile. Levi also turned to see his sister, but when he saw true outfit she wore he frowned immediately

"Ready?" Eren asked.

Mikasa smiled, nodding quickly. "Ready!"

Levi stopped Mikasa form stepping forward. "Mika... you're wearing _that_?" He asked. Mikas nodding slowly.

"It's on my body so obviously." She flatly proclaimed, deadpanning. Levi rolled his eyes.

"I mean... it's just so..." his voice trailed off.

"So what?" Mikasa asked. Levi crossed his arms.

" _Revealing_." he finished.

It was now Mikasa's turn to roll her eyes, mimicking her brother as she crossed her arms. "Levi, it's fine. I'm not going to school and it's not as if I'll get dress coded." She said.

Levi scoffed. "I just mean..." he paused, now inhaling slowly. When he didn't continue his sentence, Mikasa knew that he had no intention of finishing his statement. She knew that Levi had already given up without putting up much a fight, which was strange.

But Levi knew that the reason why he was holding back was because he had never seen his sister so happy before ever since their parent's death and when the bullying started, so he decided not to spoil her mood.

Mikasa quickly turned to Eren, her smile now brighter than her ever. Not even she knew why she was so happy, regarding the fact that she was having such negative thoughts before this.

"I'm ready to go now." She said.

Eren nodded, opening the front door. He stepped out of the way, motioning for Mikasa to walk first, and she took the invitation, sauntering away as she stepped outside. Levi noticed that as his sister walked away, Eren's eyes were somewhere where they shouldn't have been. After observing this, the adult male glared at the brunet, and Eren turned and noticed this. However, Eren just smiled, said "Have a good day," and then walked away in response.

When Eren and Mikasa we're both buckled into Eren's car, he turned on the engine. Mikasa felt the engine hum when the radio turned on and a random song began to play. Eren put the car in reverse, backed out of the driveway, and then drove off in the street. Mikasa felt her heart beat faster as she wondered what they were going to do. A feeling began to ignite inside of her and she knew that it wasn't nausea. In fact, it was a nicer, warmer feeling that Mikasa hadn't felt in a long time.

She felt _happy_.


	6. Picnic

Mikasa sat on the red pleated blanket sprawled across the grass, knees up to her chest, and her arms around her legs to keep herself in a little ball shape. Eren set down a basket in between them when he returned from his car and he sat down beside Mikasa. He opened the basket as Mikasa kicked her feet out, stretching her limbs.

She looked over at Eren, watching as he took out the foot from the basket. There was a bowl of cherries and a plate with sandwiches and to top it off, two cans of soda. Mikasa stared, amazed at what she viewing.

"Sorry, this was my first time cooking like this... if you could even call this cooking," Eren muttered. Mikasa shook her head slowly, smiling.

"No, no... it's nice." She said, preoccupied with looking at the food she was already drooling over.

She watched Eren pick up a sandwich and assumed that it would okay for her to grab her own, so she picked up the other. Eren turned to her quickly, eyes widened.

"Are you allergic to anything?" He asked. Mikasa blinked as she thought for a moment before she shook her head.

"No."

Eren sighed in relief. "Thank god."

The two then began to eat their food in comfortable silence, watching the little action that happened around them. Mikasa tilted her head upwards, inhaling the fresh air as she looked at the baby blue sky with squinted eyes.

"How'd you find this place?" Mikasa asked.

She and Eren were at Mikasa's special spot and since she rarely saw people there, she wondered as to how Eren found this place.

"First day I arrived I decided to walk around a bit. Explore the place, if you will. I found this place and it's honestly pretty perfect." He admitted.

Mikasa nodding, taking another bite of her sandwich. "I agree."

There was silence again and Mikasa finished her sandwich, now picking up the soda. She took a few long gulps before she turned to Eren, seeing him just now finish his sandwich. Mikasa giggled upon looking at him, making Eren turn to her curiously.

"What?" He asked.

Mikasa pointed to the edge of her own lips as if they were his. "You have some sauce on your lips."

"Oh," Eren mumbled.

He reached to wipe his sauce, but when Mikasa saw that there was still some left she reached down a grabbed a napkin. Leaning over to him, Mikasa used the napkin to wipe the remaining sauce off of Eren's face. The brunet blushed upon noticing how close the two were, but Mikasa didn't seem to notice.

"There," Mikasa said once she finished, "all done."

It was now when Mikasa noticed how close the two were making her blush and lean back. Eren cleared his throat, ready to start up a conversation.

"Hey, Mikasa," he began, making Mikasa turn to him to give him her undivided attention, "why do you always wear those gloves?" He asked, pointing to her gloves.

Mikasa stiffened at his question and felt all bliss from before vanish. "Oh... it's nothing. I just like to wear it as a fashion choice." She said.

Eren hummed in response, accepting her answer. Mikasa then turned to him, ready to ask her own question.

"What were you like at your old school?" She asked. It was now Eren's turn to stiffen at her question.

"O-oh, uh... I'm not really sure. I wouldn't exactly say that I was popular but... people did call me a 'ladies man' from time to time." He admitted.

Mikasa's brows rose at his response. She hadn't known what she was expecting, but it certainly wasn't that. And hearing this information made her wonder if Eren was really just befriending her for his own hormonal benefits.

"Uh... oh. That's... wow." Mikasa muttered, unsure how to respond.

Eren worried that he had made the conversation awkward so he then desperately tried to change the subject.

"How long have you been at this school district for?"

Mikasa blinked, trying to think before she responded. "Since 5th grade."

Eren whistled. "Wow, that's a long time. I usually never stay at a school for longer than two years."

Mikasa hummed. "I could never do that. Levi and I moved here with our aunt after our parents died and we were homeschooled for a while before actually going to a public school. I guess that's when the bullying started." She muttered as she neared the end of her sentence.

Eren grew sympathetic. "Oh.. I'm sorry." He mumbled. Mikasa shook her head.

"It's not like it's your fault, don't apologize." She replied. Eren nodded, but he still couldn't help but feel guilty. It was as if no matter how much he tried to change the subject, things could never exactly go according to plan.

Mikasa had decided to eat the cherries now, and she slowly slid each cherry into her mouth. She chewed slowly, a small moan emitting from her throat in delight from how sweet it was. She swallowed it whole, but she made sure not to eat the seed or stem.

Mikasa blushed, now noticing the small noise that escaped her mouth unintentionally. Eren looked over to her when he noticed this and he chortled a bit, eating a cherry for himself.

"Didn't know that you were a fan of cherries," Eren said, swallowing his cherry.

Mikasa shrugged, picking up another. "Neither did I." She said, placing another cherry in her mouth to indulge in the sweet taste again.

She finished her soda, and immediately after that, she was full. She looked over to Eren who still seemed to be eating like a beast. Deciding to rest, Mikasa laidback onto the blanket and closed her eyes, inhaling the fresh air slowly.

"Do you have a crush on anyone?" Eren asked.

Mikasa felt her face heat up from the sudden question. "Wh-What?" She stuttered.

Eren chuckled. "I mean, do you like anyone in particular?" He asked.

Mikasa sighed, shaking her head. "No. Pretty sure that my whole school hates me."

"What? Don't say that." Eren said.

"But it's the truth. You've seen how much Annie hates me, it's no surprise." She sighed, sitting up. "I just did something in 9th grade that really set her off." She added, muttering.

Mikasa wasn't sure if she wanted Eren to hear that last part or not, but he did anyway.

"What'd you do?" Eren asked.

Mikasa hesitated for a moment, inhaling sharply. Eren rose a brow at this, now giving Mikasa his undivided attention. "Sorry, I don't mean to pry."

Mikasa shook her head slowly. "It's okay. Annie and I just used to be best friends and she had a crush on this guy. I didn't know, because she never told me though, and I started talking to him and we started dating, but I didn't tell her. So then she got into a relationship with him and we had no idea about each other's relationship until two months later." Mikasa said.

Eren placed a hand in her shoulder, a comforting hand that encouraged her to keep going.

"She walked in on us making out once and called me a traitor. I didn't know what she was talking about and when I found out, I was in tears. But Annie didn't believe my side of the story, so she ended our friendship then and there. Now, she bullies me, calling me a slut and whore and the school harlot. " Mikasa said, her voice cracking.

Eren grew sympathetic. "Oh, I'm so sorry. I never knew."

Mikasa shook her head. "Again, it's okay Eren. You couldn't have known this stuff, remember?"

Eren nodded slowly, "y-yeah."

Mikasa turned to Eren now. "Do you have any friends from your old school that you miss?" Mikasa asked. "A girlfriend?" She added.

She didn't know that she was going to add that part until it rolled off her tongue, and there was a bit of mirthfulness in her tone as if she said stuff like this all the time. She surprised herself with her phrase, to say the least, and she began to wonder if hanging out with Eren was exposing a different side to her.

"No, I don't have a girlfriend." Eren chuckled.

Mikasa rose a brow. "But I thought you said to Annie—"

"No, I just said that to get her off me. She seems really annoying so I thought the best way to get rid of her was to tell her that I'm taken. I'm single though." He said.

Mikasa hummed a quiet, "I see."

"But I do have some friends from my old school though. Sometimes we talk, and I'm sure they'd like to meet you." He said.

Mikasa bit her lip, a bit hesitant.

"Hey, don't worry. They're not dicks like the people at this school are." He said.

Mikasa nodded slowly, but she was still apprehensive.

"Are you free this weekend?" Eren ended up asking.

Mikasa nodded. "Yeah."

"Okay, then want to come meet my friends? We're hanging out Sunday." He proposed.

Mikasa thought for a moment, "Sure. I can ask Levi."

Eren smiled. "Great!" He grabbed the final cherry and put it in his mouth.

There wasn't any food leftover now, so they just began drinking their soda now.

' _Hanging out with Eren's friends this Saturday...'_ Mikasa thought, taking a long sip of her drink. _'Why not? I mean, what's the worst that can happen?'_


	7. Does He even want to be Her Friend?

"Tell me if he doesn't anything wrong to hurt you. I swear on my life, I will mess him up if-"

"Levi, calm down. It's not just gonna be us, his other friends will be there too." Mikasa said, cutting into her brother's speech, not wanting to hear his _very_ non-null threats anymore. Levi sighed, turning right as they entered the neighborhood of where Eren had invited Mikasa over.

"I know, but I'm just worried about my baby sister." He said.

Mikasa mirthfully rolled her eyes. "I'm almost a legal adult, you know that right?" Mikasa asked with a smirk.

"Yeah, but you'll always be my baby sis." He said.

Mikasa scoffed playfully as Levi pulled up to the driveway of the house that their GPS guided them to. Mikasa hopped out the car, grabbing her purse before she skipped up the steps. She went to Eren's contact on her phone (since she had gotten his number by him giving it to her) and sent him a message; _I'm outside._

Not even a second passed until she got a reply; _Okay_ _,_ _Sasha will open the door._

Right after Mikasa read the message, the door swung open. A female with brown hair in a ponytail stood on the other side, cookie crumbs on her lips. Right behind her was a male with blond hair.

"Who is it, Sash?" The male asked behind her.

"I dunno." She called back. She looked Mikasa up and down slowly, eyeing her down from the white sundress she wore, printed with daisies, to her essential gloves and then to her black slippers.

"Um, I'm Mikasa Ackerman. Is Eren-"

"Oh, you're that one chick Eren talked about! Yeah, come on in!" The girl, who Mikasa presumed to be Sasha, said.

Mikasa walked in, slipping her shoes off and she finally got the chance to look at the male. He had blond hair, as Mikasa had observed from outside the door, and blue eyes. He wore a navy blue button-up with a collar and to go with it were some dark brown jeans.

"Hi, I'm Armin." The boy said.

Mikasa cleared her throat, already feeling it close and tighten. She felt her anxiety return, and she could hear Annie's words echoing in her head.

_"Stupid orphan." "Dumb slut." "Gloomy bitch."_

She forced herself to block it out, for now, reaching her hand out to shake the boy's. He reciprocated the action, shaking her hand.

"Mikasa." She said, her throat suddenly dry.

Armin rose a brow at the girl's dismissive behavior, slowly drawing his hand back to his side once their interaction finished. Mikasa looked around the room anxiously in search of Eren. She was feeling an anxiety attack come over her, and what she wanted was to see a familiar face.

"U-Uhm, where's Eren?" Mikasa asked hastily.

Armin raised his finger to the ceiling, "upstairs."

Mikasa nodded, and before she knew it she was going up the stairs, almost sprinting. When she finally heard the voice that belonged to the person she was looking for, she walked followed the sound, and ended up at the door to a bedroom.

She put her hand in the doorknob and nearly twisted it before she heard something hag made her pause.

Giggling.

_Feminine_ giggling.

He wasn't alone.

Mikasa braced herself before she slowly opened the door. When she saw who was on the other side, she saw Eren and a female.

She had blonde hair and blue irises, similar to the male downstairs. She was giggling and blushing, staring at Eren with this certain gaze that made Mikasa stiffen.

Eren turned to the door and when he saw Mikasa, his face lit up. He smiled and Mikasa forced a smile back, although she wanted to frown at the scene she was viewing.

"Mikasa!" He hailed in both surprise and expectancy.

Mikasa nodded. "Yup, it's me. In the flesh." She said, trying to match his enthusiasm to no avail.

"Oh, this is Mikasa?" The blonde stood up from the bed and stumbled back a bit. She giggled awkwardly before regaining her balance as she shuffled to Mikasa.

"I'm Historia Reiss." The girl introduced herself.

Mikasa nodded, humming in response. She tried her best to act friendly, but she couldn't help but feel like she was glaring.

And she'd be right.

She was passing off this honeyed look but underneath it, you could see a glare.

Nobody noticed, except for Eren.

And he took a mental note of this.

"Well, why don't you sit down with us! We're watching a scary movie." Historia suggested.

Mikasa nodded. "Okay." She said. She sat down on the bed, sitting right next to Eren. Historia sat on Eren's other side.

The horror movie continued playing, but Mikasa wasn't paying attention. She kept a suspicious eye on the girl who clung to Eren every time there was a jump scare. She couldn't help but feel jealous, wondering if Eren had been lying to her about being single.

Is this his girlfriend?

_'Wait, why should I care? We're not dating or anything.'_

Mikasa inhaled slowly, forcing her attention back to the movie. It was then when Historia has gotten up and left, claiming to go downstairs to see what was taking Sasha and Armin so long.

Mikasa nodded, and the minute Historia was gone she could finally focus on the movie. However, the minute Mikasa looked at the tv, a jump scare occurred. She yelped, jumping as she leaned over to Eren on instinct, wrapping her arms around his.

The door opened exactly at that moment, and the Historia had returned with Armin and Sasha. Sasha had in her grasp a bag of popcorn, and Armin had two bottles of wine. When Historia saw how close Mikasa was with Eren, she smirked.

"What's happening here?" She hummed.

Mikasa blushed at the sudden exposure. She struggled to find her words to try to explain what was happening, already feeling herself get flustered.

"Jumpscare," Mikasa said in a rushed and shaken tone. "A jump scare. I got scared." Her sentences were shambles and she sounded illiterate if one were to be blunt.

Eren turned red too, but he was much calmer than Mikasa. "What she means to say is that a jump scare happened. She got scared and it was a bit adorable, I have to admit." Eren said.

Mikasa gawked at him, pinching his arm.

"Ow!" He winced, pinching her back.

Mikasa winced, and this began a pinching competition. When Armin cleared his throat, it reminded the two that they weren't the only ones in the room. They stopped, and everyone else finally walked into the room. It was only now when Mikasa noticed the alcohol Armin held in his hands, making her grow nervous. However, she didn't say anything, she just watched as Armin poured everyone a cup.

They all volunteered in grabbing their own cups except for Mikasa. When Eren noticed this, he grabbed an extra cup for her.

"Oh, no. I don't drink." Mikasa said.

"Are you sure? It's okay, I won't tell." He said with a smirk.

Mikasa begrudgingly took the cup, and she felt everyone's eyes on her suddenly. However, when Eren noticed her reluctance he passed her a look that said enough; 'you don't have to do this if you don't want to.'

Mikasa shook her head and passed him a look in reassurance; 'it's fine.'

Mikasa brought the cup to her lips, taking a swig. It burned her throat the whole way down, but there was something that made her want to keep going. Everyone turned to the tv once Mikasa had taken the sip, taking a sip of their own drinks now. Mikasa also redirected her attention back to the horror movie, deciding to try to enjoy her time there.

* * *

For the rest of the day, they all watched movies and joked around together and ate food, Sasha especially. There came a time when everybody fell asleep except for Historia and Mikasa, but it was obvious that Historia was shit-faced and that she'd pass out as well soon.

Mikasa was downstairs at this time, munching on some snacks she had found in one of the cabinets of the house. She had also spotted family pictures on the walls of the house, all of them being Historia with an older man — her father, Mikasa presumed.

Historia looked miserable in every single photo, save for the ones where she was alone or when she was a child. When Mikasa noticed how blissful Historia looked when she was younger she couldn't help but think, 'ignorance is bliss.'

Historia walked down the steps, clinging onto the railing so that she didn't trip. When she saw Mikasa seated in her kitchen, her face lit up and she ran up to her, nearly falling.

"Hey, Mikasa! I thought everybody would be asleep by now." Historia admitted, shuffling to a cabinet in the kitchen.

"Oh, no. I'm still here." Mikasa said, shoving a cheez-it into her mouth.

Historia took out a small bottle of Jack Daniel's. Not bothering to pour it into a cup, Historia just walked over and sat down beside Mikasa.

"So, what's your school like?" Historia asked as she swigged her drink.

Mikasa shrugged. "I hate it there."

Historia hummed. "Well, that's an interesting answer." She said, swallowing the whiskey in her mouth. She held the bottle out to a Mikasa, gesturing for her to drink some.

"Oh, I don't drink." She said.

"Pfft, nonsense. You didn't turn it down when Eren gave you a cup." Historia retorted.

Mikasa hesitated for a moment, unsure of how to explain her previous actions since she was also confused as to why she took Eren's offer. Deciding not to say anything to retaliate, (since she didn't have anything to retaliate with,) Mikasa took the bottle and took a long gulp of it.

The minute the whiskey swam down her throat, burning it the whole way down, Mikasa already felt herself get drunk. However, Mikasa couldn't stop herself because, despite the fact that it burned her throat, it also felt strangely addicting.

When Mikasa finally removed the bottle from her lips, it was empty. Historia gawked at Mikasa before giggling.

"'I don't drink,' huh?" Historia mocked as she stood up.

Mikasa rolled her eyes mirthfully. She felt her head spin, making her bring her hand up to her forehead. She turned the bottle over, viewing the percentage of alcohol only to turn pale immediately.

"60 percent alcohol?! Are you trying to kill me?" Mikasa cried, her words slurred as she was already drunk.

Historia shook her head with a smile. "Nope. Just tryna have fun." She said, returning with two more bottles of the same type of alcohol.

Despite being a bit reluctant again, Mikasa took the second bottle anyway, but she decided to drink it slowly.

"So," Historia took a sip of her bottle, "do you like anyone at your school?"

Mikasa shook her head. "Hah! That's a joke. Nobody even likes me, so why should I like them?" She asked, sipping on her drink after she spoke.

"What about Eren? He likes you, doesn't he?" Historia asked.

Mikasa blushed as if the alcohol hadn't left her red enough already. "Oh, w-we're just friends. He's probably in love with someone at his old school." Mikasa said.

"Nope. Trust me, a good handful of the girls here don't like Eren." Historia said.

Mikasa rose a brow. "Is that so?"

Historia hummed and nodded.

"But he's so..." Mikasa's voice trailed off, unable to really think of the word to describe her thoughts about Eren. In her mind, he was a little bit of everything and more.

"Hot? Perfect?" Historia finished for her.

Mikasa nodded. "Yes! Isn't he?" She said, agreeing with Historia's statement.

Historia giggled. "So you do like him." She concluded.

"Well duh," Mikasa said, drinking her alcohol.

"No, I mean _like_ like," Historia said. "As in a lover?"

Mikasa choked on her drink, and she coughed and sputtered a bit until her airways cleared. "N-No I don't!" She said.

"It's okay. I ship you two anyways." Historia said.

Mikasa flushed bright red and she immediately changed the subject. "Well, you said a lot of the girls don't like him. Why is that?" Mikasa asked.

"Oh, shit. He didn't tell you, did he?" Historia asked, her eyes wide.

Mikasa shook her head. "No. Why? Is it bad?"

Historia cringed a bit just thinking about it. "I mean, it depends on how you interpret it."

"Oh, yikes. Well, I'm prepared for the worst. Lay it on me!" She said.

"Well..." Historia leaned up and whispered it to Mikasa in her ear. The minute Mikasa heard the news, she gawked.

"R-Really?"

Historia nodded.

Mikasa sighed, eyes wide as she took in the new information.

Hearing this made her wonder. Did Eren only befriend Mikasa because of this? Because of what he was? Because of what he _is_?

Did Eren even _want_ to be her friend?


	8. The Player

Mikasa slowly entered her school campus, hugging her binder close to her body with her head lowered. As Mikasa shuffled to her lockers, keeping close to the walls to avoid the cliques in the hallways, she couldn't help but think about Eren. After what Historia told her, Mikasa felt anxious and wary. She kept wondering if Eren was setting her up, and she kept thinking that it'd be best to avoid him, but she simply _couldn't_.

Was she an idiot because of that?

Mikasa bumped into something solid, and her binder fell to the floor. Her instinctual thought was that she might've bumped into Annie, but when she failed to smell perfume, she thought she bumped into a wall from how tough the thing she bumped into was. She felt her nose pulsate and she rubbed it, kneeling down to grab her binder.

Then, she felt something—no, not something, some _one_ —squeeze her butt. She turned around, looking to see who the culprit was to see a male, although she couldn't quite clearly see his face. The light behind him shone so brightly down onto Mikasa that she couldn't see anything but his brown hair.

"Did you just-"

"Oh, sorry. It's just," the male leaned closer to her in which Mikasa could feel his breath by her ear. "It's real tight."

After he spoke, he leaned back and went to the group of males behind him, giving one of them a high-five.

"How'd it feel, man?" One of them asked.

"Juicy like a tomato, and _so_ tight." The guy replied.

At that, the males all cheered and whooped for him and Mikasa felt herself grow self-conscious.

The male who had just harassed her finally turned and the light around them dimmed. The males from before—in fact, everyone who previously stood in the corridor, vaporized into a cloud of smoke, vanishing. The setting Mikasa was in vanished too, the corridor she was in turned into the black cloud and Mikasa felt as if she was in a dark void.

No floor beneath her feet, no ceiling above her head. She was just there, crisscrossed with her hands in front of her chest.

The male upon her smirked, and Mikasa decided to finally look at his face. She saw emerald irises that she instantly recognized, and she identified this man as the only one she could call a friend.

"E-Eren? Why'd you do that?" She questioned.

Eren smirked, crossing his arms. His irises flashed a shade darker and there was a certain look in them that made Mikasa's breath hitch.

"Do what? Squeeze your ass?" Eren asked, mischief flashing through his eyes.

Mikasa turned red at the way he worded it, but nodded nonetheless. Upon seeing her shakily nod her head, Eren chuckles and threw his head back with his chortle, and Mikasa could feel the malice seeping from his laugh.

"I just had to try it out. Ya'know, I talked to your ex, the one who broke up yours and Annie's friendship, and he kept telling me stories about how magnificent your body was that I just had to see for myself. And the bastard was right, you've got a sweet ass there, Mikasa." Eren said.

Mikasa felt tears swim in her eyes and when she tried to blink them away, the tears that once threatened to fall began pouring from her eyes as if she were a faucet. Eren's malicious chuckle bounce off the nonexistent walls surrounding them as his voice echoed throughout the void.

"I see my reputation proceeds me." He claimed.

Mikasa looked up at him with teary eyes, her vision blurred by the few tears that still made habitat in her eyes.

"Wh-What?" She managed to voice out through her sob.

"Historia told you, right?" He said, stepping closer to her, although he looked as if he were gravitating from the lack of flooring. "About how I caused so much dismay for the girls at my old school. Man, the amount of times I've made a girl cry in front of me are endless. And now you're doing the same thing. Helplessly on your knees and crying at my feet." He proclaimed.

He sat on his haunches to be at eye-level with her, leaning closer in where his lips were next to her ear which sent shivers dancing down her spine.

"You should've known better," he whispered, his breath hot against her ear. "You slut."  
  
  
  


Mikasa awoke with a jolt, her breaths ragged. She viewed her surroundings frantically and identified her surroundings as her bedroom, and that what she just witnessed from Eren was just a silly nightmare.

Her heart was pounding in her chest and despite being back to reality, Mikasa still felt her anxiety grow by the second. Her breathing pattern was unnatural and it soon left her gasping for air as if it had been limited.

Mikasa lept out of bed and knelt down, digging around some stuff under her bed before pulling out a navy blue box. She opened the lid to see razor blades, the ones she newly bought.

She took one blade out and she pulled up her sleeve to her elbow pit before running the blade horizontally across her forearm. She winced at the pain and sucked in a sharp breath, watching the blood trickle down her arm and drip from the edge of her fingertips. A cry of pain burned on her tongue, but she daren't let out in fear of awaking her brother.

She bit down on her cheeks hard and it didn't take long for the metallic taste of blood to flow onto her tongue, making her stop upon recognition.

Then Mikasa dropped the blade onto the floor and she stared horrified at the multiple self-inflicted cuts that ran across her forearm. It was always a haze whenever Mikasa made the decision to cut, but afterwards she always felt a wave of resentment settle over her. And instead of her feeling resentful at someone else, it was always herself she was mad at for not stopping her actions sooner.

She shook her head.

_'Fuck fuck fuck fuck.'_ She thought as the cuts stung like hell. She put the razor back and kicked her box under her box and just as she got rid of the box, a breeze flew in through her window.

Mikasa inhaled the fresh air, making an "mmhmm," sound to express that she felt relaxed, despite her having been panicked nearly a minute ago.

She stood up and decided to finally check the time to see that it was nearly 3 am, but despite it being so late, she didn't fail to walk downstairs. She shuffled to the kitchen and grabbed herself a cup of water before looking down the dark hallway which had the front door at the end of it.

Despite it being dark, despite it being late, despite the fact that she should go back to sleep, a sudden urge told Mikasa to go outside.

And she did.

She exited her house, stepping onto the porch in nothing but her mom's nightshirt, her own pants, and thick, fuzzy socks Levi had gotten her for her birthday a while ago.

She sat down on the swinging bench by the front door, slowly swaying back and forth as she drank her cup of water. Knowing that she shouldn't be out there long, Mikasa made a mental note to herself to go back to bed once she finished her cup of water.

But when Mikasa finished her water, the front door to Eren's house swung open as if on cue. Mikasa stared at the door, jumping from where she seated since she was startled, and she watched cautiously.

Was it him? Was it his mother? His father? Does he have any siblings?

When Eren exited his house and stepped into the moonlight, Mikasa felt herself swoon at his beauty from how brilliantly the moon shone down on him to make him nearly look holy.

_'Go to sleep, Mikasa,'_ a voice sang to her in her head, but she found herself calling out to him.

Eren looked over and a small smile formed at his lips. He strolled over to Mikasa until he was in front of her porch and he waved, making her wave back.

"I never expected to see you up this late." He groggily said, and Mikasa could tell that he just woke up from the tiredness in his eyes from how disheveled his hair was.

"I could say the same for you." She said, smiling back at him.

She invited him over to sit beside her by scooting over, making it known that there was a vacant spot next to her. Eren understood her unspoken message because he climbed the few steps that led to the porch and sat beside her.

Mikasa continued to rock back and forth on the swing and Eren had grown accustomed to it, smiling from how soothed he suddenly felt.

"Why...are you up?" Mikasa asked, suddenly feeling hesitant.

"Hangover. Feels like someone is just rattling my brain in my skull." He admitted.

Mikasa nodded, understanding. She was quiet for a moment, contemplating going back to bed when suddenly she remembers her nightmare.

What Historia said yesterday... was it true?

"Historia..." Mikasa inhaled slowly as if preparing herself before continuing, "Historia told me something yesterday."

Eren stiffened, feeling as if he already knew what Historia might've said to her. Mikasa had noticed him stiffen which ultimately made the girl grow more anxious, but she continued.

"Uhm... I just want to know if what she said is true because it's really... it's really fucking with my mind right now." Mikasa proclaimed, but after she spoke she clasped her hands over her mouth.

Eren's eyes widened too, since he had never heard Mikasa speak so vulgarly before.

"Well, you're gonna have to tell me what she said for me to verify," Eren said, deciding not to touch upon the fact that Mikasa just swore and instead on the thing that _made_ her swore. He managed to keep his voice surprisingly calm as if he truly had no idea what Mikasa was about to say.

"Oh, right. She said... she said that you were a player. That you got into relationships with women and slept with them, only to break up with them right after. She said that people at your old school said that you looked at taking a girl's virginity as if it were a sport, and you wanted to be an MVP." Mikasa said, and suddenly vivid memories of her dream came rushing back which made her want to cry, although she didn't.

"So... is it true?" Mikasa asked.

Eren swallowed hard, his throat suddenly dry, and he licked his lips, and suddenly they were cracked. After Eren stayed silent, Mikasa spoke up again.

"Are you a player?"


	9. Crimson Wounds

**Two Days Earlier | Before Mikasa Met Them**

_Armin Arlert, Historia Reiss, Eren Jeager, and Sasha Braus. None were at the same place, but all were somehow communicating with one another at once through FaceTime. Historia wasn't alone, for beside was a brunette named Ymir, her lover._

_They all discussed what they were to do the next day when they hung out and Eren had suddenly remembered to inform his friends that Mikasa had accepted his invite, making all of them turn their attention to Eren and this girl_ _he's been obsessing over._

_"Oh, so we finally get to meet this mystery girl, huh?" Armin said, raising a brow._

_"Yeah, so you guys can stop asking me questions. And please, don't embarrass me." Eren proclaimed, and he felt himself glare, half-mirthful_ _ly,_ _half-_ _seriously_ _. "I'm looking at you, Historia."_

_Historia scoffed. "I do not embarrass you!" She pouted._

_Eren rose a brow as if his expression was saying, 'oh really now?' He looked over to the blonde's girlfriend who wrapped an arm around her shoulder._

_"Ymir?" He called, asking for her opinion on the matter._

_Ymir nodded. "Babe, I love you and all, but you can be such a mom sometimes. You are kind of embarrassing." Ymir admitted._

_Historia pouted, turning away from Ymir. But Ymir smirked, grabbed her chin and turned her to face her, then kissed her cheek. "But I still love you."_

_Historia hummed in delight. "I love you too." She said, pecking her lips._

_"Hey, can you not have sex until after I hang up?" Eren groaned._

_Historia scoffed at him again_ _, but this time she was plenty playful._

_"So, Mikasa is coming tomorrow?" Sasha asked, shoving a handful of Lay's into her mouth._

_"Yup," Eren confirmed._

_"Eren, have you told Mikasa yet?" Armin asked_ _, his tone firm._

_"Told Mikasa what?"_

_"About your... past here."_ _He_ _clarified._

_Eren sucked in a sharp breath, and his silence after that was answer enough._

_"Eren, you have to tell her." Historia suddenly demanded._

_"I-"_

_"You keep saying that you know, but you never do it! She needs to know before she finds out the... hard way." Sasha butt in._

_"Hard way?" Eren rose a brow. "Sash, what are you implying?" He narrowed his eyes._

_"Eren, please. Don't hide it. I know that you've been trying to change and you said that you have actual feelings for Mikasa... I just don't want you to revert back to your old self." Sasha added._

_"'Revert back to my old self'?!" Eren echoed. "You think I'm not capable of being committed?"_

_"I never said that! You're putting words in my mouth!" Sasha cried._

_"But-"_

_"Eren, deep down you both know that you can't deny it. Your playboy attitude has practically become second nature." Historia said._

_"And if you want something real with Mikasa, you gonna need to bury those feelings and tell her the truth." Armin piped in as well._

_Eren sighed and averted_ _his eyes from_ _his camera lenses._

_"Eren," Historia called his name._

_His reply was inaudible._

_"Eren!" Historia called him again._

_"What?" He sharply spat out._

_"If you don't tell her..." Historia began, her gaze suddenly threatening, "then I will."_   
  
  
  
  
  


* * *

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"No."

Mikasa stared at Eren, relief flooding her features.

"No, I'm not a player." Eren clarified although he hadn't needed to.

But then Mikasa suddenly rose a brow, wondering why Historia would even say something like that. To fill Mikasa up with uncertainty like that for _what_?

All she wanted was a friend.

"Then, why did she say-"

"She was right." Eren butt in.

Mikasa gawked at him since now she was utterly confused. Was she right or not? Is he a player or not? Did he want to be her friend or not?

Mikasa gulped.

_'Do you want to be my friend or not?'_ She thought, although her mouth felt no obligation to voice her thoughts.

"The reason why she said that is because I used to be a player. At my old school. I don't like my past but I can't change it, I just want to change." Eren said. He turned to Mikasa. "You've gotta believe me. I'm not doing it ever again."

Mikasa looked at him, her face stricken. Suddenly, she felt confusion overcome her.

Yes, she believed him not only because she wanted to, but because she needed to, for the sake of gaining a friend that is.

But what she didn't understand was why. Why was he a player? And more importantly, why is he so desperate to convince Mikasa that he'll stop?

Men only do that if their speaking to one they live, to give their loved one's closure.

And Eren didn't love Mikasa.

Mikasa's breath hitched in her throat.

Unless...

She stood up. "Erm... that's great, Eren. I'm glad that you're changing. But I'm gonna," she cleared her throat when she noticed her voice falter, "I'm gonna go to bed."

Eren watched Mikasa walk to her front door with wide eyes.

_'No, no, no!'_ He thought.

He grabbed onto her wrist for her to halt, and she did, but Eren hadn't expected his heart to halt as well. He immediately drew his hand back to his side, all color drained from his face, and he looked at the color at his fingertips.

Crimson.

He gulped.

"Is this... blood?"

He grabbed Mikasa's wrists carefully, exposing it to himself to see fresh blood. Red, red everywhere, it almost made his nauseous.

But he quickly snapped to it and stood up, concern flooding over him.

"Mikasa, you're hurt!" He cried. "You're bleeding!"

"I know." She muttered, a sight settling in her chest.

"Do you have a first aid kit?" He asked.

Mikasa shook her head in response, and right she answered him he started to pull on her wrist, taking her somewhere.

"Wh-where are you taking me? Eren, it's 3 am. I need to go to bed." Mikasa proclaimed.

"Not with those damn injuries you're not!" Eren cried, stepping onto his porch. He swung his front door open since it had been unlocked and guided her to the kitchen. He prompted her to sit down and she did, and right after she did, and poured her some water and slip the cup across the table to her.

As Mikasa sipped on her second cup of water, Eren opened a cabinet and fumbled around for something before pulling out a first aid kit box. He went to stand beside Mikasa, and he gently took her wrist, pulling her sleeve back to her elbow pit hesitantly.

He waited for her to shy away, but she never did, giving him access to see the countless cuts drawn across her wrist. He turned pale.

He knew that these were self-inflicted.

And that's because he's seen cuts just like these on another girl's wrist as well.

Right before she commit-

"I'm sorry to bother you Eren," Mikasa said, making Eren realize that he had just been dumbly staring at her injuries. Eren quickly shook his head, dismissing her accusations as he turned to grab a cotton ball from the kit.

"Nonsense." He said, fishing out a cylindrical container. He guided Mikasa to the bathroom, putting her hand under some warm water from the sink as he cleaned out her wounds. After he finished, he dipped the cotton ball in disinfectant before disinfecting her wounds, and Mikasa winced at the stinging sensation.

When finished, Eren took Mikasa back to the kitchen and carefully wrapped the bandage around her wrist, when suddenly he noticed something right next to her cuts.

Uneven patches of skin.

As if she's cut before.

He swallowed hard.

_'Well, now at least I know why she wears those gloves.'_ He thought, thinking back to those black, fingerless gloves she wore with every outfit.

He quickly finished wrapping up her arm again and when Mikasa was about to leave, he stopped her by calling her name.

"Yes?" She replied, stroking the bandage around her wounds gently as if she were nervous.

Eren parted his lips, then closed them, then parted them again, unsure of what to say. He already felt disappointment settle over him about the fact that she had to leave. He knew she had to sleep, and he also knew that he needed to sleep if he wanted this hangover to go away.

But soon he found himself trying to form a sentence to somehow convince her to stay longer.

When Mikasa's stomach suddenly growled, he smiled at the opportunity.

"I was about to make something, do you want to stay and eat?" He asked although he cursed at himself mentally for saying something so unconvincing and lame.

"You're making breakfast?" Mikasa asked with a cocked brow, a smirk stretching across her face. "At 3 am?" She added.

Eren dubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "I mean... might as well. I'm hungry." He said, chuckling.

Mikasa smiled at him, letting out a silent sigh when she realized that she was, in fact, hungry.

"Alright," she said, the everlasting rubbing motion her hand made against her bandaged wrist unwavering, "I'll stay."

Eren smiled and he printed her to take a seat and to make herself at home before disappearing into the kitchen. He opened the fridge, eyeing everything carefully before realizing that he didn't really have much food in the kitchen.

He sighed, but now he knew what he had to do to make her stay.

He had to improvise.


	10. The Question

Mikasa awoke to her skin being tickled by a warm breath, her eyelids peeling open. She viewed her surroundings, finding herself laid upon the living room couch in a house that wasn't hers, but Eren's.

She jolted up in surprise.

Eren slept across from her, his face so close that she could smell his breath through his nose. She jumped up, blushing madly as she stood on the carpet flooring.

Eren stirred beside her with a groan, prompting himself up on his elbow as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He looked around and when he saw Mikasa he simply smiled, as if he expected for her to be there.

"You slept like a rock." He said, swinging his legs off the edge of the couch. He leaned forward to the coffee table and picked up two plates and two mugs before getting up and shuffling to the kitchen.

Upon seeing the plates, memories from the previous night (or morning) flooded back into Mikasa's mind, reminding her what had happened. Eren had made her a sandwich, the one he had made for her last time, and some hot chocolate. They stayed up late, taking and eating when Mikasa eventually let her exhaustion overcome her and fell asleep.

She hadn't remembered what she said to Eren which worried her, and she wondered if she accidentally spilled out the truth.

The truth about who had cut her, which was herself.

Mikasa lifted her left arm and brought her right hand up to rub her cuts, something she instinctively did when she grew nervous or anxious, but then she felt the bandage, reminding her that Eren had also tended to her wounds.

Then, she paused to wonder.

 _'If he really was trying to play me... why would he be so kind?'_ She pondered, turning to him. _'It's as if he really wants to be my friend.'_

Eren approached her, his eyes flickering to the clock on the wall to see the time.

"If you want to get ready for school on time, I suggest you hurry up." He said. Mikasa turned to the clock as well, reading the time.

He was right, she needed to get ready for school, meaning that she needed to leave now.

"Right." She said.

Eren smiled. "I can walk you over to your home."

Mikasa smiled back genuinely. "I'd like that."

They left Eren's home, but the minute the stepped out the door Mikasa could see a cop car in her driveway, as well as two cops at her front door.

She gulped, immediately thinking back to the time when her brother and she came home to find their parents dead. A lump formed in her throat and she dashed forward, sprinting past Eren and to the front door to see Levi, much to her relief.

Relief flooded over her and she then stared at the cops with a cocked brow, wondering why they were here.

"Levi, is something the matter?" She asked, although her tone was shaken since her fear from before hadn't fully vanished yet. Upon hearing his sister's voice Levi spun around and saw his sister. He ran up to her, both concern and relief in his eyes as he wrapped his arms around her.

"I thought something terrible happened to you." He whispered as he shook. Mikasa hugged him back, something they rarely do, and slowly his trembling subsided.

"So, now that you're sister is safe, are we allowed to leave? Or is something else the matter?" One of the policemen asked.

Levi shook his head and looked at them. "No, no. We're fine now. Thank you." He said.

One of the policemen tipped their hat and nodded before they both got into their car and drove away.

Once they were gone, Levi looked behind Mikasa to see Eren. He instantly narrowed his eyes and he shoved past Mikasa and shoved Eren to the ground.

"What the fuck?! Are you kidnapping my sister now?!" Levi cried. Eren shook his head and stammered as he tried to explain himself, standing up to his feet.

Levi ignored Eren and lifted him by the collar of his shirt and Eren finally felt threatened by Levi since he hadn't before by his small figure. Levi pinned Eren against the wall and Eren groaned from the impact, making Mikasa shriek in fear for Eren. She begged for Levi to stop but he ignored his sister.

"Next time you try to fucking steal my only family from me, I will-"

"I CUT MYSELF AGAIN!" Mikasa suddenly cried.

In shock, Levi immediately dropped Eren to the floor and he groaned from the impact against his tailbone. The adult man rushed up to his sister's side, now worried.

"You did? Why didn't you tell me? Mikasa, I told you we could work through this together!" Levi cried, both agitated and fearful.

"Levi, I did it at 3 am. Then I went outside and.. and I saw Eren and he patched me up. I accidentally fell asleep at his house though, but none of this is his fault." Mikasa said sternly.

She lowered her gaze to the floor then, ashamedly. "It's mine." She muttered.

Levi placed his hands in his shoulders and Mikasa felt him tremble.

"It is not your fault." Levi insisted.

Mikasa shook her head, denying his claim, then sighed. "I have school." She muttered, shrugging his hands off her shoulders. She turned to Eren. "You should go get ready too." She said.

It took him a moment too, but Eren nodded in response. The girl then turned on her heel, walking to the front door before she entered her house.

Levi turned to Eren once again, narrowing his eyes once more before following Mikasa inside and shutting the door behind him.

* * *

Mikasa had avoided Eren all day ever since what happened earlier that morning. She felt herself instinctively turn away from him whenever she saw him down the corridor and she knowingly took detours to get to class just to avoid him. When he spoke to her during class all that filled her head was what had happened that morning, making her stay silent and clam her mouth shut whenever she dared to speak.

But now she couldn't dismiss him because now, as she walked home from school, a familiar car pulled up beside her and when the window rolled down she saw none other than Eren Jeager. He looked at her with a smile, but behind his friendly expression was apprehensiveness.

"Need a ride?" He asked.

The girl swallowed hard, parting her lips to speak only to join them back together. She needed to respond somehow, so all she did was nod her head.

Eren smiled, pulling over completely as he unlocked the car doors as if telling her to hop in. She obliged to his silent message and ran to the passenger side of the car, settling down in the seat beside him. And as she buckled up, Eren drove off.

They rode in silence and Mikasa watched the road, waiting for Eren to pull into their neighborhood. She swallowed hard, impending for Eren to ask her about this morning.

How would she respond? How _could_ she respond? What if he asked about when she told Levi she cut herself? Would he question that? How would she be able to cover it up? Should she just tell him the truth? The truth about her will to live that's slowly withering away.

"Mikasa," Eren said her name sternly, dragging the girl back into reality. Mikasa felt herself hum upon hearing her name. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have made you stay over yesterday, I should've let you go home. And now your brother's mad too and..."

Mikasa zoned out after that.

He was... apologizing? If anything, Mikasa was expecting _herself_ to apologize, not him.

"Eren," Mikasa spoke, cutting him off. "Do _not_ apologize. My brother being angry is not your fault, he's... _we're_ all alone. He must've just been scared to lose me, but that's not your fault." She said. "Please, don't apologize."

Eren's expression softened and he wished he wasn't driving so that he could wrap his arms around her. "Well, Mikasa, I have something to ask," Eren said.

Mikasa turned to him a cocked brow and she wondered if he was going to ask about that morning.

"When you said that you cut yourself... those cuts I tended to today, was that your doing?" Eren asked.

Mikasa swallowed hard, but she knew she couldn't nod or shake her head in response. She _had_ to say something, not move her head. So, she parted her lips and forced the words out.

"Yes."

Eren turned to her, eyes wide until he forced his attention back to the road. "Wh-why?"

Mikasa inhaled slowly. "I had a... a nightmare." She said although she knew she sounded lame.

 _'Cutting yourself because of a nightmare? What am I, three?!'_ She thought.

"Oh, I-I'm so sorry. If I knew I would've said something." Eren proclaimed, feeling genuine guilt for not being able to be there for her.

"But you didn't know, so don't apologize." Mikasa's expression softened. "Not everything is your fault." She said in an almost ironic way.

Whenever she was at school, that definitely wasn't her mindset. At school, every mishap was her fault and she found herself apologizing when anything occurred, regardless of whether or not she was at fault.

If Annie were to accidentally bump her shoulder in the hall, Mikasa would apologize endlessly and scamper away like a mouse.

Annie always snickered at this.

And Mikasa had to admit, she also felt quite pathetic whenever a situation like or similar to that occurred.

She wished she could change.

Eren sighed as he parked by the curb by his house, Mikasa's household right next to his. "Do you want to talk about your nightmare?"

Mikasa stiffened, remembering exactly who the nightmare was about and suddenly she didn't want to speak anymore. "N-Not really."

Eren frowned. "Can you at least tell me who or what it was about?"

Mikasa stiffened again, but this time, she didn't fail to deliver. She nodded and hummed, making Eren give her his undivided attention as she responded.

"It was you."


	11. Asked Out

Eren hadn't known how hurt he would be until he heard Mikasa's answer. To think that she'd injure herself because of a nightmare about _him_. What could he have possibly done?

"M-Me?" He rose a finger and pointed to the male in question.

Mikasa nodded sheepishly, biting the inside of her cheeks. "Yes." Her voice was nearly inaudible.

"What was it about?"

Mikasa inhaled slowly and despite not being entirely ready to tell him what her dream was about, she knew he had a right to know.

"You... touched my ass. You _groped_ it." She admitted in disgust. "And when I asked you why, you just laughed at me. You said that you talked to my ex about me and how you had to 'try me out'. And you just said that a player never changes and then you called me a sl-"

Eren wrapped his arms around Mikasa, cutting her sentence short. She hadn't noticed that tears swam in her eyes until they had already begun to fall, making her tremble. She wrapped her arms around Eren, not knowing how much she needed to be embraced until he did it.

" _Don't say it_." He warned. "I called a lot of girls that and I regret it. But don't you ever," he separated their hug and looked deep into her silver irises, nearly getting lost in them. " _Ever_ , call yourself a slut."

Upon hearing the words that constantly drove her insane spill from Eren's lips, Mikasa broke down right then in there in the passenger seat of his car. She let her tears fall with restriction, not giving a damn about whether she looked pretty or not.

"Wh-why-" she regained her composure and forced her sobbing to subside before she continued, "why do you care about me so much?" She asked.

She shook violently and Eren embraced her again, feeling her trembling continue. "Because." He whispered soothingly.

"B-B-Because of what?" She asked, breathing rapidly as she tried to catch her breath.

Eren inhaled slowly and Mikasa leaned her head against his chest, his heartbeat slowly, but surely, soothing her.

"Because I love you." He whispered into her hair.

Mikasa inhaled slowly and looked up at him, her chin resting on his firm chest.

"R-R-Really?" She asked as a blush came over her cheeks.

Eren nodded, smiling warmly at her. "Would I lie to you?" He asked, using his right hand to stroke her ebony hair. Mikasa exhaled slowly with her lips parted, his touch sending shivers down her spine.

"Th-That's not a thing that f-friends do, isn't it?" She asked, although her question was rhetorical.

Eren shook his head anyway and answered nonetheless. "No, it's not."

Mikasa sucked in her bottom lip and it got caught between her teeth. Her blush deepened in color the longer they stayed the position they were currently in; Mikasa with her head pressed up against Eren's chest as he embraced her and stroked her hair.

Eren blushed as well, although his wasn't as prominent as Mikasa's. The three words rolled off his tongue so casually since he was used to saying it to girls at his old school to use their body, only to dispose of them later. Despite the fact that now, those words meant true, he still wasn't entirely affected by them.

Because of what he did, so many girls suffered from heartache, but he wasn't proud of it. He wished he could change his past, but he can't.

Now, all he could do was have a fresh start.

And Mikasa was the beginning of it.

Mikasa was there to stay, and he didn't plan on making another girl's heart ache.

Not again.

"Okay," Mikasa said breathily, exhaling a breath she had forgotten that she was holding. She cursed at herself mentally after she spoke for saying something so lame, so she forced herself to say something else. "I-I love you too." She managed to force out.

Eren's face lit up and he actually felt his heart _swell_ with joy. "Y-You do?"

"Yeah," she breathed. "I do."

Eren smiled and separated their embracing of each other.

"Then, may I propose something?" He asked.

Mikasa nodded, wiping away the last of her tears. "What is it?" She asked. The silence that followed until he responded acted as red paint smeared across Mikasa's cheek, deepening her blush.

"Want to go out on a date?"

Mikasa jolted away from Eren, her eyes wide and struck with confusion.

"A-As a couple?" She asked, and she was mentally pleading that he would say yes. She wanted him to ask her to be his girlfriend right then and there so that she could say yes a thousand times and more, but she knew her chances of that happening were slim.

And when Eren responded, she was reminded of how slim those chances were.

"Not really." He said awkwardly, scratching the nape of his neck. "I-I mean if you want, then sure." He quickly added upon seeing the solemn expression on her face.

"Oh, uh, right." She said, averting her eyes from his. "Why would I think such a dumb thing? No one cares about me." She muttered quietly to herself.

Eren watched her with a cocked brow and until she answered, his expression remained curious as he impended an answer. However, what he failed to notice was the faint blush that slowly crawled onto his face.

"Uhm, sure. I'd like that." Mikasa said, although the tone she spoke with contrasted with the words in her statement. She sounded somber and disappointed, and Eren could sense it, despite the hopeful yet false words she spoke. However, he didn't pry.

He knew nothing good cake out of nosiness.

"Okay. Then, I'll swing by Friday night." He said, subconsciously adding that sly smirk if his that always got girls at his feet at his old school. When he noticed the smirk on his face, he quickly forced it away and replaced it with a genuine smile.

Mikasa noticed his shift in expressions, but at first, she didn't question it. But then she remembered about his, for lack of better a word, distasteful habits from his old school and she grew apprehensive. For a moment, she questioned if he was doing this for his own, disgusting, hormonal benefit, but she quickly dismissed it.

She knew Eren, and he wouldn't do that to her. He promised.

Maybe she was refusing the possibility of him still being a player because he had told her that he was going to stop. Maybe it was because she trusted him and his words. Or, maybe it was because this is was the only opportunity she's received since 9th grade to make a friend, and she was so desperate to take it. All she wanted was a companion, friend or not, and Eren was exactly that.

Mikasa shifted her line of sight to the watch on Eren's hand and from what she could tell it was way past when school ended. She knew that Levi would be home soon and that since she wanted to do something nice for him that evening, she had to get going.

Despite wanting to stay longer with Eren, she knew she couldn't.

"I should get going," Mikasa said. "My brother."

Eren nodded, picking up his school bag that sat in the backseat of his car. "Right. My mom's probably waiting for me too." He said.

Mikasa got out of his car and swung her backpack strap over her shoulder. Eren got out of the vehicle as well, putting on his bag as well.

They walked their separate paths to their houses and when Mikasa reached her porch, she knelt down and took the key from under the mat. Then, she opened the front door, but before she entered she turned to Eren.

He was watching her carefully as if to make sure she was safe.

Mikasa smiled and waved to him and he waved back before the girl stepped into her house. She tossed her bag to the ground and took off her shoes, then collapsed onto the living room couch.

"I'm going on a date..." she muttered to herself, "with Eren."

Her cheeks burned at the thought, and she couldn't help but smile.

And for a split second, she felt herself forget about her plaguing depression.


	12. Petra

When Levi Ackerman started working at a full-time job, he found himself returning home later than usual and working night shifts. He'd often retreat back to his home when his sister was asleep, and a pang of guilt was always shot through his chest.

He knew how much she had been suffering, and he knew how much she needed him. But he never felt like he was there.

He wanted to know how she was doing, and better yet, he wanted to know if she was happy or not. But since he didn't see her as often anymore, he wasn't able to interact with her as often as he used to.

But now, as he returned home from work earlier than usual, he thought of this as the perfect opportunity to ask how she was. And when he entered their house to see a delicious dinner set out on the dining room table, he found himself searching the room to see none other than Mikasa Ackerman.

"Whoa..." he mused to himself.

Mikasa looked at the food she had made, a satisfied smile on her face.

"You made this?" He asked.

She nodded. "You've been working hard lately, so I take it that you haven't been eating as well too. So, I made a little meal for us." She admitted.

Levi smiled, removing his coat to hang over a seat beside him. Mikasa was right, Levi _wasn't_ eating as well as he used to. Before, he had time to make homemade meals and eat healthier, but now he found himself eating pre-made meals, and sometimes he'd skip eating the meal altogether.

"Wow. What'd you make?" Levi asked.

"Creamy carbonara." Mikasa simply answered.

Levi cocked a brow and paused from where he stood. "Carbonara?" He echoed. "How long did that take to make?"

Mikasa shrugged with an awkward giggle. "You don't need to worry. Let's just eat." She said.

She pulled out a seat and sat down, and across from her sat her brother. They grabbed their forks and Levi immediately dug in, although he was careful not to make a mess.

Mikasa watched him carefully as he ate, wondering if she should tell him now that she was going on a date with Eren or later.

Turns out, she'd be forced to go with the latter because the doorbell suddenly rang.

She perked up and Levi offered to get it but she insisted on letting him eat. He eventually agreed and Mikasa shuffled to the door and looked through the peephole.

A part of her wished for it to be Eren, but instead, she saw a female with ginger hair at their porch. Her eyes were light brown, her ginger hair in a small ponytail.

Mikas swing the door open with a cocked brow, wondering who the lady on the other side was.

"Uhm, hi," Mikasa said. She eyed the lady down from her black skirt to her white blouse and black blazer that matched her pencil skirt, making Mikasa assume for her to be a businesswoman.

"Oh, hey! I'm Petra Ral." The lady stuck out her hand. Mikasa reluctantly reciprocated the action and shook her hand. "Is this the residence of Levi Ackerman?"

Mikasa nodded. "Yes, why? Is he in trouble?"

The woman—Petra—chuckled lightly. "Oh, heavens no. I just came to return his phone and-"

"Did someone say my name?"

Mikasa turned around to see Levi approaching her with his arms crossed and a cocked brow.

"Oh, yeah. Someone came to return something of yours." Mikasa admitted, stepping aside to give Levi the chance to look at who Mikasa spoke with.

Upon seeing the girl in the doorway, Levi's eyes lit up subtly. To any other person, it would've been unnoticeable. However, Mikasa noticed the change in his expression, and she took note of it.

"I'll go continue eating," Mikasa said. With that, she strolled forward, but instead of going to the table to sit down, she stayed behind a corner and peered at the two adults by the entrance of her house.

Mikasa kept a cautious eye on Petra, watching her like a hawk. Petra giggled as the two spoke and Levi cracked a small smile, something that he wasn't usually seen doing.

Petra eventually pulled out two objects, a phone, and a wallet, and handed them to Levi, making Levi say his thanks as he grabbed them. Their interaction soon ended with a wave goodbye and Petra then left, leaving an unusually gushy Levi behind.

Mikasa quickly scrambled back to the dining table, sitting down as she picked up a forkful of her food and shoved it into her mouth. Levi returned and when he saw his messy sister he sighed and sat down.

Mikasa swallowed the bite in her mouth and put her elbow on the table as she rested her hand on her fist, raising a brow. "Who was that?" Mikasa asked.

"Petra. Her father works with me at the company I work at." Levi admitted.

Mikasa hummed. "Oh?"

"Yeah. She doesn't work there though. She's just an elementary school teacher." Levi explained.

Mikasa hummed again, a small smirk monopolizing her lips. "That's it? She's just the daughter of the man who you work with?" Mikasa asked.

Levi cocked a brow. "Mika, what are you getting at?" He asked, unamused by his sister and the way her tone suggested something that wasn't there.

"I mean, you seemed a lot more than that. You _smiled_ at her, Levi." Mikasa pointed out.

"I smile at everyone." Levi sighed.

Mikasa snorted and laughed as if what she heard was the funniest thing ever. "No, you don't. You hardly smile around _me_ , and I'm your damn sister." Mikasa admitted.

"Language," Levi warned.

"I'm just saying. If you like her, go for it." Mikasa suggested, taking a bite of her food, although this one was less messy.

"Oh, and suddenly you're an expert when it comes to relationships?" Levi mocked.

Mikasa nearly chocked on her food, remembering her upcoming date with Eren.

"Whoa, what's wrong?" Levi asked, noticing her nearly choke. "Don't tell me you actually have a boyfriend." Levi scoffed.

Mikasa shrugged. "I dunno. Maybe I do." She mutter after she swallowed the bite in her mouth.

Levi gawked at her. "Oh my god." He mumbled. "Who is it?!" Levi asked with a sharp tone.

"N-No one! I was kidding!" Mikasa said. She added an awkward laugh, and after that, she said, "does it even matter?"

"Yes, it does. I don't want you to get a boyfriend so soon." He said.

"So soon? Levi, do I have to remind you again that I'm almost an adult?" Mikasa reminded him with a cocked brow, although the amused smile on her lips made it obvious that she wasn't offended. She took the last bit of her food into her mouth.

"Yeah, but you'll always be my baby sister." Levi reminded her.

Mikasa rolled her eyes mirthfully and stood up. She swallowed the last bit of food in her mouth posterior to her remarking, "Well, you keep living on in that fantasy of yours. I'll stay in reality."

She grabbed her plate and walked to the kitchen, putting the dishes in the sink. Then, she grabbed her school bag by the couch and walked to the foot of the stairs.

"I have some homework to finish." She said.

Levi nodded. "Right. Go ahead."

Mikasa walked up the stairs and into her bedroom, then closed the door. She grabbed her bag and opened it before she pulled out her notebook.

However, before she could even start doing her homework, her phone buzzed.

She knew she should've ignored it if she wanted to start her homework, but instead she found herself viewing the notification to see a text from Eren. She smiled and opened the message to read it: I can't wait to see you again.

A blush spread across her cheeks and she typed her response, but then her brows met in the middle as she deleted it. Then, she rewrote a response, but right after she found herself deleting her response again.

Then, she finally wrote her response. She swallowed hard and pushed her nerves away and finally sent it: Me too.

Thinking that her response was too bland, she added another: Handsome ;)


	13. Their Date

The days had gone by sooner than they had expected them to, and neither parties weren't sure of whether or not they should've been excited or nervous.

Unironically enough, both teenagers felt both.

Mikasa was sitting idly on her bed, a towel wrapped around her waist as her dampened ebony locks fell beyond her shoulders. She stared into her reflection, head tilted as if she were questioning something.

In the neighboring house, Eren laid on his back on his bed, his hair also messy and disheveled. He stared up at his ceiling, only in his boxers and a loose t-shirt with his brows knitted in the middle. He seemed to have the same questioning expression on his face as well.

 _'Is this really happening?'_ Both teens wondered.

Mikasa jumped at the sound of rapid knocking, and she sighed before she got up and opened her bedroom door.

"Yeah?" She asked, seeing Levi on the other side.

"Petra's gonna come over for dinner, so just be back by then," Levi informed.

Mikasa smirked and cocked a brow. "Petra, huh?" She said, her tone making it obvious that she was preparing to tease her brother.

"It's a business dinner." He flatly said.

Mikasa hummed, leaning up against her doorway. "Are you sure?"

Levi sighed, "yes, I'm sure. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a date with a broom and a bottle of Clorox." He said.

Mikasa rose a brow. "Don't you mean a date with-"

"Bye," Levi said before she could finish. Before Mikasa knew it, he had pivoted on his heel and began walking away before she could to embarrass him. She sighed, shaking her head but she still smiled.

Mikasa was glad that Levi was finding someone, even if it were just a friend. Ever since they moved out here by themselves, both Ackermans had been quite lonely. So seeing Levi gain a companion was nice for the both of them.

Mikasa closed her door and strolled her closet, opening it up to see nothing bright or exciting. She sighed, remembering how dark her wardrobe selection was and she knew that if she wanted to impress Eren she'd have to be creative.

She pulled out a black shirt with thin straps, then a maroon skirt and a cardigan similar in color to the skirt. She put on black stockings as well, and when she finished she went to her small vanity.

She ran her fingers through her long hair as she stared at her reflecting, not exactly sure on what she was to do with it. She fingered a few locks of her ebony hair, her lips pressed together in a pout. The more she thought about what she should do with her hair, the more she became frustrated.

Finally, the girl came to an impasse and she grabbed a hair tie, pulling her long hair back into a bun. Finally, when she felt somewhat satisfied, she stared at her reflection.

She turned to face the larger mirror in her room, standing up to get the full view of her body.

"Holy shit..." she muttered under her breath.

Was that really her? Was the girl staring back at her through that mirror really her?

She looked— _felt_ —so different!

Her phone rang, snapping the girl back to reality and she skipped to her phone and answered the call.

"Hey, I'm outside." Eren's husky voice was heard.

Mikasa smiled, nodding, even though he couldn't see her. "Okay, coming!" She sang. She quickly hung up and shoved her phone into her purse, then skipped down the steps, humming a happy tune.

Levi, who was sweeping the floor, raised a brow when he saw his sister, pulling his cleaning mask down from his nose and to his chin. He stopped sweeping, leaning against the broom with a cocked brow.

"What's gotten you in such a good mood?" He asked.

Mikasa smiled. "The same reason why you're in a good mood." She hummed. When she reached the foot of the stairs, she grabbed onto the railing and spun around. "Because of love." She cooed.

Before Levi could protest, Mikasa skipped away and slipped on her red converse before she left. Levi scoffed, shaking his head, but his lips quirked up into a small smile.

 _'Maybe this Eren boy isn't that bad.'_ He thought.

* * *

Eren pulled up into a parking spot anterior to him putting his car in park and turning his engine off. He turned to Mikasa, a warm smile stretched across his face.

"Here we are." He said.

Mikasa smiled, looking forward to see an arcade ahead. She unbuckled her seat belt, pulling her purse strap over her shoulder.

"Then, let's get going."

Both teens walked forward into the arcade, and the moment Mikasa stepped onto the carpet she was filled with nostalgia. Blissfully, she looked around at the games, remembering the times she'd stay here for hours on end with her father before Levi got home from school and joined them. The only person able to pry her off the games was her mother, but not without challenging her in a DDR match first.

She smiled at the memories, inhaling the scent of the arcade.

She hadn't even noticed that Eren had already bought them tickets until he came back, two cards with the arcade name on it.

"I got us both 35 tickets." He said.

Mikasa gawked at him. "What? You didn't have to do that, I would've paid for my own." She said, pulling out her brown wallet from her purse. Eren shook his head, sliding one card into his pocket and handing the other to Mikasa.

"What kind of boyfriend would I be if I let the girl pay for her stuff?" He asked, hooking his arm around Mikasa's. Mikasa's lips parted, her cheeks turning bright red as her insides churned at his words.

"B-Boyfriend?" She let the word come out as a whisper. Eren felt his cheeks burn, realizing the words that spilled out of his mouth after they were spoken.

"U-Uhm, wait, no. I-I meant-"

"No, it's fine." Mikasa clung tightly to his arm. "I like it."

Eren swallowed hard, wondering if it were normal for his heart to be beating this fast. He was sure he was suffering heartburn, and when Mikasa's skin brushed up against his and when he felt her breast lightly touch his elbow, that only made him believe that his former conclusion was true.

Little did the brunet know, the noirette was suffering from the same situation. Her heart began to hammer in her ribcage, butterflies awakening from their rest in her stomach as they began to dance around. She's sure that she would've been dancing too with how blissful she felt.

"Sh-Shall we?" Eren managed to say, gesturing to the array of games with his free arm. Mikasa nodded, swallowing her nerves as she smiled awkwardly.

"We shall."

The two walked forward again. When Mikasa could see a Mario Kart in her peripheral vision, her face lit up like a child looking at Christmas lights. She turned eagerly to the game, letting go of Eren's arm in the process as she ran up to it.

"Can we play this?" She asked, her tone coated in excitement.

Eren smiled, the type of smile that could only be created when reciprocating another 10 times more bright. "Sure." He said, his heart jumping for joy when he saw Mikasa's obvious happiness.

He sat down in the seat beside the one Mikasa was next to, and Mikasa sat down as well. They used their cards as payment and picked their players, Mikasa picking Luigi as Eren picked Bowser. Eren laughed upon seeing Mikasa's choice, making Mikasa turn to him with a cocked brow.

"I definitely took you as a Mario kind of girl." He said, his foot hovering over the brakes and gas as he set his hands on the steering wheel, waiting for the countdown to finish.

Mikasa smirked at him, looking at his character. "And I took you as a Waluigi kind of guy."

Eren chortled, turning to the screen when the countdown reached zero. "I guess we're both full of surprises." He said, stepping into the gas pedal as he watched his character zoom forward, Mikasa's not too far behind him.

"Yeah," Mikasa threw her green shell at him, watching his character stop to spin around as she passed him, "I guess we are."

Eren grunted, watching his place drop from 2nd to 5th. He pressed at the gas again, getting a mystery box. His item was a banana peel. He sighed, quickly using his item as he eyed the upcoming mystery boxes. When he got his second and third item after that, they were both... banana peels?

Eren cried out in distress. "You've gotta be kidding me!" He groaned. "This game is rigged!" He groused.

Mikasa giggled, using her green shell to retard the pc in front of her, climbing the ranks to first place. She cheered and whooped, going onto her final lap. She glanced at Eren's screen for a second to see him just barely make it to 5th.

However, despite the fact that he most likely wasn't going to make it to the top 3, Eren was still happy. As long as the girl beside him, the one who's been unintentionally providing him with comfort, was happy, he was happy.

The race soon finished, Eren finishing at a disappointing 4th as Mikasa topped at first place. She cheered once again, smiling as she threw her arms in the air as a golden '#1' flashed across her side of the screen.

"I won!" She gushed.

She turned to Eren, seeing where he placed and passed him a pitiful yet also teasing smile.

"It's alright. At least you didn't finish last like I thought you would." She joked.

Eren's slightly offended, but mainly mirthful, "Hey!" didn't go unnoticed as he poked her in the ribs, making her giggle.

"I just don't have my lucky charm." He pouted.

Mikasa rolled her eyes with a small. "Sure." She commented sarcastically.

The two sat up, moving out of the way for the next group of 3 kids eager to play after them. They explored the large arcade, looking for a game to play and Mikasa's eyes were captivated by a plushie in a claw machine. As she ogled at it, Eren couldn't help but notice her infatuation with it.

Without a second thought, Eren swiped his card and began to play the machine, trying to win the plush Mikasa had been adoring.

Mikasa noticed the machine rumble as the claw began to shift in the machine, making her turn her head to look at Eren.

"Oh, you didn't have to." She said.

Eren shrugged her words away, lowering the claw. It closed around the leg of the shiba inu plushie before it slowly rose. Eren bit his cheeks, watching cautiously as the claw moved across the machine. Then, he dropped the plushie at the end and Mikasa immediately bent down and picked up the plushie from the receiving end of the machine.

She smiled, feeling the softness between her fingers as she hugged the plush. "You didn't have to." She repeated.

Eren shook his head, smiling at the way Mikasa beamed at the small trinket she held.

"But I wanted to." He said.

Mikasa sighed satisfiedly, but then looked up at Eren with a cocked brow. For the first time during their date, she felt a bit apprehensive. She thought that maybe being with the boy who's captivated her would've gotten rid of her anxiety, but boy was she wrong.

Eren noticed her shift in demeanor, making his outward expression shift from blissful to concern. Mikasa noticed _his_ shift in demeanor, making her push her ridiculous thoughts away as she forced a small smile.

She was planning on asking him the question that lingered in her mind, but she didn't feel like ruining their date. She wanted him to feel as blissful as she did.

"What do you want to play next?" Mikasa asked.

Eren noticed her now forceful happiness, making him part his lips to ask what the matter was. However, before he could even speak Mikasa tugged on his arm and dragged him to a game that had caught her eye.

"Let's play this!" She said, hoping that her smile was more convincing than it was earlier. Eren seemed to have been swayed by her because he smiled, looking at the game she had chosen. It was a zombie shooter MMO game.

"You like shooting games?" He stated, questioningly.

Mikasa nodded. "My dad and I would dominate my brother and Mom at games like this," Mikasa recalled.

She swiped her card, setting her plushie down as she picked up one of the game's fake guns. She turned to Eren with an expectant expression, watching him slide his card on the game and pick up the other gun.

"Alright then. It's on." Eren said with a smirk.


	14. Officially Dating

Petra Ral was described as many things before. Her friends called her 'too kind for her own good', and she had even been told on multiple occasions that she was such a sweetheart. She was also described as an independent woman, ignoring misogynistic remarks to be the bigger person.

But a hopeless romantic? Never in her life would she had expected to refer to herself as such an adjective. But here she was, acting the way a hopeless romantic would in the household of the person she was head over heels for as she sat down at a dining table.

Her father was to join them as well, but he had too much of an important meeting that he had to cancel. He had offered for Petra to stay home as well, but she insisted on going.

She told her father is was so that they could discuss business.

But instead, she found herself ogling at the man seated in front of her as he ate his food.

He groaned in frustration, making the girl snap back to reality to realize that she hadn't even touched her food and it was beginning to get cold. Not wanting it to seem like she disliked his meal, Petra began shoving forkfuls into her mouth.

"Where on earth is she?" Levi groaned.

He excused himself and stood up, walking into the kitchen as he made a phone call.

The first call went to voicemail, but the second time he was lucky, for the person had picked up.

"Hello?" A female voice asked.

"Mikasa, where the hell are you? I told you to be home for dinner." Levi chided in a hushed tone.

"Oh, I'm so sorry! Eren and I are just stuck in traffic right now." Mikasa said, sounding genuinely apologetic.

Levi knew in any other circumstance he would've felt irritated, but for some unbeknownst reason to him, he wasn't as mad as he thought he'd be.

Maybe it was because he knew Mikasa was telling the truth, for there was the sound of honking and screeching tires coming from her end of the call, proving that she was, at least, on the road. Or maybe it was because he didn't mind being alone with Petra since he had developed feelings for the girl.

He had only known her for a few weeks, but he could tell that the emotions he felt were true.

"Alright, alright. Just make it back before curfew." Levi said.

He hung up quickly, shuffling back to the dining table to see Petra drinking her water.

"Looks like it's just the two of us," Levi stated as he sat down, although Petra didn't mind.

"Your sister's busy?" Petra asked.

Levi shrugged. "More or less."

Petra smiled warmly at him. "Well, I've been wanting to talk to you myself anyways." She said.

Levi cocked a brow. "Is that so?"

"Yup."

"And what do you want to speak about?"

"I'm just wondering if you drink," Petra asked.

Levi shrugged. "On special occasions."

Petra smirked. "Then consider this special." After she spoke, she grabbed the paper bag she had entered with and pulled out two bottles of red wine. It was the priceless kind, the type Levi's always seen being sold at an outlandish sum. But here it was, displayed right in front of him.

"Holy shit. Where'd you buy that?" He asked as he gawked at it.

Petra giggled, stood up, and led herself into the kitchen. "My father... well... let's just say I know where his wine cabinet is." She spoke lightheartedly.

She opened a few cabinets before she finally found the one where Levi stored a few glass cups in, making her pull two out and retreat back to the dining table. Opening the bottle, Petra poured both herself and Levi a drink.

She slid a wineglass to Levi, watching him pick it up and twirl it between his forefinger and thumb, watching the maroon like liquid swirl around in the cup. It didn't take him long to bring the rim of the glass up to his lips to take a few swigs of the drink, indulging in its addictive taste.

"Do you like it?" Petra asked, taking a few sips.

Levi nodded, a small, unnoticeable grin tugging at his lips. "It's delicious. It puts my food to waste."

"Don't say that. Your food is just as, if not, more delicious." Petra said.

The two began to indulge in some conversation, finishing multiple cups of wine together. Petra had noticed that Levi's cheeks became tinged red from the alcohol, giving her the okay for her next plan of action.

She was planning on confessing to him whilst drunk, hoping that if he rejected her (which, in her mind, he most likely would) he wouldn't remember it in later. And if he did, she'd shrug it off and say that he was probably drunk.

So, she inhaled slowly and prepared herself to speak.

"I love you." She whispered, not even realizing that she was cutting him off mid-sentence. She hadn't really known if she wanted him to hear her or not, regarding how quite she spoke, but it turns out the latter had happened.

"What?" He questioned her, turning redder than the wine had left him.

"I-I hope you love your wine!" She stammered.

Levi cocked a brow, his eyes scanning Petra's face for the real answered. When he noticed the intruding blush on her face, he smirked, already knowing exactly what she said.

"I love you too." He spoke.

Petra immediately felt her insides churn at his words, an abundance of emotions flying through her head, all contrasting yet somehow, making sense with one another. A blush stained her cheeks and she hoped that Levi would only think of her sudden redness being a result of her wine intake.

"I-I'm sorry?"

"I said," Levi brought his cup up to his lips but before he took a sip, he finished his sentence, "I love you too." He repeated.

Petra's cheeks burned. Nope, she definitely heard him correctly.

"Is this a prank?" She asked.

Levi chortled. "Wouldn't you be the one pranking me then? Since you said it first." Levi proclaimed.

"No!" She cried, a bit horrified about him thinking that this was just a prank. "I-I mean... you do?"

He nodded.

"So... do you love me too?" She asked.

Levi smirked. "That's what I said, isn't it?" He stood up from his seat, walking over to the kitchen with his now empty wine glass.

Petra followed behind him, her own glass of wine also in her hands.

As she watched him put his glass in the sink, she bit her lower lip, her heart rate speeding up tremendously.

"So, would you consider being my boyfriend?" She asked.

He spun around and looked at her. "Only if you consider being my girlfriend." He said, approaching her.

She leaned her back up against the counter, putting her wineglass down.

"Oh yeah?" She hummed, her heart jumping for joy in her ribcage as he wrapped his arms around her.

"Yeah." He repeated breathily.

Their heads moved closer to each other, and before they knew it, they could taste the wine on the other's lips.

Petra indulged in their endeavor, her fingers meeting behind his neck as she pulled his head closer to hers.

Levi pulled the girl up on the counter, making her giggle slightly. Wrapping her legs around his waist, Petra slightly moaned as Levi groaned in satisfaction.

Leaning back onto the countertop, Petra felt Levi's lips trail down her neck. She put her arm on the counter to stop herself from leaning back completely and in the process of doing so, she knocked her glass off the counter and it shattered on the floor, the red wine falling onto the wooden flooring.

Both she and Levi were sure that nothing would break up their endeavor since not even the sound of glass breaking was enough to do so, until a small gasp snapped them back to reality. Levi pulled apart from Petra's neck, not leaving behind any hickeys.

"Holy hell." Mikasa, the girl who had gasped upon seeing them and who had split them up, whispered. Right behind her was Eren whose mouth was agape.

Levi backed away from Petra and the ginger hopped down from the edge of the counter, landing in the puddle of wine. She cringed at the feeling of her sock getting wet, but she forced a smile to Mikasa instead.

"O-Oh. Hey, Mikasa." She squeaked out.

"Uhm... hey? We just got here for dinner and I was gonna have Eren come over too.... but you guys are obviously.... busy." The girl said, eyeing the puddle of wine of the floor.

"Is that wine?" Eren asked.

Levi nodded slowly, and Mikasa had never seen her brother so red before. She almost wanted to laugh if she wasn't so flustered by the scene that had just been unraveling before his very own eyes.

If she hadn't stopped them, what would've happened next?

Mikasa felt herself internally gag at the thought of Levi and Petra having sex atop their kitchen counter.

No, that was ridiculous. Levi had some decency at least. He would've ushered himself and Petra to his bedroom, Mikasa was sure of it.

She shook her thoughts away.

"Well, you guys can... uhm..." Mikasa felt herself then red, "okay, we're just gonna go now."

She spun around and ushered Eren up the stairs, guiding him into her bedroom and shutting the door behind her.

Eren sat down on her bed as he chortled. Mikasa turned to him, an eyebrow cocked.

"Wow. I don't know what I was expecting to see when I came here, but your brother having a make-out session with a girl was not it! On your kitchen counter no less!" He laughed.

Mikasa groaned and collapsed onto her bed face-first, burying her face in her pillow. "God, that was so embarrassing." She grumbled. "I'm sorry you had to see that."

Eren chuckled. "No sweat. Seeing that wasn't all bad." He stated.

Mikasa looked up from her pillow and to the boy on her bed with her. "It wasn't?"

"No. Because it gives me an idea of what I want us to be like in the future." He slyly commented.

Mikasa felt her heart skip a beat, but she smiled and grabbed a small pillow from her bed and threw it at him.

"You're such a tomcat." She giggled.

Eren caught the pillow before it hit him, chuckling alongside the girl. Eren stared at Mikasa, listening to her angelic giggle as a red blush spread across her cheeks. He felt captivated by her, his heart jumping around in his ribcage.

"I'm being serious." He commented.

Mikasa turned to him, her cheeks burning as she noticed the intensity in the stare he gave her. She swore her hair would've lighted on fire.

"I want us to be a real thing," Eren added.

Mikasa inhaled slowly, convincing herself mentally that this was actually happening, although a small part of her still found this hard to believe. "You do?"

"Yeah."

"But... why would you want to be with me? I'm just a stupid suicidal girl. I'm useless... everyone hates me." Mikasa spoke dejectedly.

"Don't say that," Eren warned. "You are everything but that. In my eyes, you're perfect. You're all I want." Eren admitted, opening his heart up to her. It felt alien to him, being so honest about his feelings.

'He wants me.' Mikasa thought. Be that as it may, a small part of Mikasa still rejected this. 'He's just a player. He knows how to use his words. He knows how to get what he really wants... which is sex. He doesn't actually want me.' She thought.

She forced her thoughts away.

That couldn't be true.

She didn't want it to be.

She didn't let it be.

"I want you too." Mikasa breathed out, unsure of what to say without sounding cliché or lame.

Eren felt his heart swell with joy at her words. "You do? So... so do you want to be my girlfriend?" He asked excitedly.

Mikasa didn't fight the smile that stretched across her face as she didn't miss a beat with her response. "Yes."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I've come to the decision with my word count. I usually do 1300-1700 words per chapter, but I've been writing 1700-3000. I think I'm gonna settle with that word count now because I like writing long chapters, although my updates may be less frequent. This chapter is 2100+ words so as you can see, I've already begun writing like that.
> 
> So, I hope you guys like longer chapters because that's what you'll be getting 😉.
> 
> Also, prepare yourself in a few chapters because it's going to be smut. I'm kind of excited because I haven written smut in a while so let's hope I'm not too rusty lol 😬


	15. Three-Month Progress

To say that Mikasa Ackerman had fallen for Eren Jeager since their date would be an understatement. She was straight up lovesick.

Three months had passed and during those three months, Mikasa hadn't cut herself. As hers and Eren's relationship thrived, so did her will to live. She even pursed her love for drawing, sketching whenever she could and posting the aftermath online whenever she got the chance to. Her confidence had grown as well.

And during that time, Levi and Petra had also started a relationship. Levi's mood ultimately improved and the ginger was seen around Mikasa's house more often than not. Mikasa was already growing close to the Petra too.

Both Ackermans couldn't be happier.

Presently, Mikasa was laying on her bed, tucked into her bedsheets when a familiar chime rang throughout her dark room.

'Ignore it, Mika. It's 12 am.' A voice sang in her head.

She obliged to her thoughts, although she was a bit reluctant. However, when her phone chimed again, she didn't ignore it.

Grabbing her phone, Mikasa viewed the notification to see a message from the contact with the name 'My Hero' followed by some emojis. She smiled, opening the message to read it.

My Hero 🥵❤️🤟🏻😻  
_I'm bored :P You still awake?_

Me  
_Yeah lol. You should be asleep._

My Hero 🥵❤️🤟🏻😻  
_Can't_

Me  
_why not?_

My Hero 🥵❤️🤟🏻😻  
_Because you're on my mind 😉_

Mikasa felt her heart swell and cheeks burn. She bit her lip, her insides churning as she thought about her beloved. When she failed to reply to the message she had previously received, a new message rolled in with a chime:

My Hero 🥵❤️🤟🏻😻  
_Lol did I kill you?_

Me  
_ofc not lmao. Gosh you're such a tomcat._

My Hero 🥵❤️🤟🏻😻  
_And that's why you love me._

Me  
_Shut up._

My Hero 🥵❤️🤟🏻😻  
_Make me._

Me  
_I might just do that._

My Hero 🥵❤️🤟🏻😻  
_Oh? And how so?_

Me  
_By coming over._

My Hero 🥵❤️🤟🏻😻  
_You wouldn't._

Me  
_I would._

Mikasa turned off her phone and hopped out of bed, shivering from the cold. She grabbed a large hoodie that was laying on the ground and pulled it over her shivering body, then slipped on some fuzzy socks Levi had gotten her not too long ago.

Slipping her phone into her pocket, Mikasa walked down the steps, and upon reaching the foot of the stairs she hesitated.

There was a light on in the living room, and there was a TV show playing, although the volume was low. She could hear giggling and talking from where she stood, and from that she knew exactly who was downstairs.

Levi and Petra.

She peeked past the corner, seeing Levi and Petra talking. Petra was doing most of the giggling, although Levi did chuckle along with the girl. Their conversation was no different than one Mikasa and Eren would have when the two were alone.

Levi's arm was draped over her shoulders as Petra rested her hands on Levi's chest, curled up next to him. Their conversation was spotted with kisses (mainly given by Levi) which resulted in Petra's giggles.

At the sight, Mikasa felt herself smile.

She loved seeing her brother happy.

Spinning around, Mikasa snuck past the living room to the front door. Slipping on her converse, Mikasa exited the house quietly and immediately hugged her body when the cold air bit at her exposed skin. She shut the door and ran across her lawn until she was at the doorstep of the Jeager residence.

Picking up her phone, Mikasa saw a multitude of new messages from the boy she had been communicating with earlier.

My Hero 🥵❤️🤟🏻😻  
_Hello?_  
_Omg are you actually?_  
_Lol I knew you were in love with me but I didn't think you loved me that much._  
_Well if you are coming even though you prob just fell asleep call me cuz I don't want my mom waking up_  
_Okay bye lol I'll stop spamming you_

Smiling, Mikasa went to the contact page and pressed the call icon right under the contact name. She brought her phone up to her ears and it rang a few times before the ringing came to an abrupt stop and a voice was heard on the other end.

"Are you outside?" A hushed voice asked her.

"Yeah," Mikasa whispered back through clattering teeth.

"Okay," a few noises of things shuffling together followed by footsteps were heard on the other end, "I'm coming."

The call ended and Mikasa was left outside, but it didn't take longer than two minutes until the door swung open and a disheveled Eren Jeager stood on the other end.

"Wow. You actually came." He said, smirking.

Mikasa smiled back. "Aren't you happy to see me?" She asked mirthfully.

"I am. Although I wasn't expecting you to show up in my hoodie." He said, eyeing the oversized hoodie over her body.

"Oh, I didn't even notice I was wearing it." Mikasa giggled. "Well, you get what you get." She added.

Eren smiled, opening the door wider for her to enter. "Here, come in. You shouldn't be out in the cold." He said.

Mikasa nodded, stepping into his house and inhaling the comforting aroma of vanilla and lavender. She turned to Eren, watching him close the door anterior to him walking forward. Grabbing Mikasa by the wrist, Eren led the girl upstairs to his bedroom.

Closing the door behind him, Eren grabbed his laptop and hopped into bed. Mikasa followed suit, sitting next to him as she watched him open his computer and scroll for a movie. When he began to play the film he chose, Mikasa swallowed hard upon recognizing the genre.

"Is this a... horror movie?" She asked warily.

Eren smirked. "Why? Are you scared?" He teased.

Mikasa pressed her lips together into a pout, narrowing her eyes at him. "Nope." She deflected.

Eren chortled. "If you say so."

He put the laptop on his lap, letting Mikasa snuggle up to him.

The horror film played out, Mikasa jumping at every jump scare and yelping from every loud noise. Eren found it humorous, but it was all shits and giggles until Mikasa had begun to cling onto his arms. The fact that his arm was being jerked towards Mikasa each time she was scared wasn't the issue, rather, it was the slight contact her chest would make with his arm that bothered him.

Despite being in a relationship, the two had never been really intimate. Sure, they had make-out sessions, but it never went further than that. There would be the occasionally feel up that Eren gave Mikasa, but that was it.

There was never any mouth-on-genitalia action, neither was there any situation in which both teens had been fully or even half-naked.

But Eren wasn't bothered by it. Despite the fact that there was a side of him that desperately wanted to have sex with Mikasa, he didn't let those urges overcome him. Whenever they threatened to, he'd remember his what his friends from back home said.

"You're playboy attitude has practically become second nature." Historia once said.

"And if you want something real with Mikasa, you're gonna need to bury those feelings and tell her the truth." Armin once said.

"Sweetie, as your mom, I love you and will support everything you do. But... using a girl for her body? I didn't think you were like that. Please, abandon that side of you." His mother once said.

Yup. That's right. Even Eren's mother knew about him. She only found out after the damage was done, however.

She wasn't able to stop him in time.

To say that his mother's discovery of his dirty deeds are what made him vow to stop his acts would be an overstatement, however. For it wasn't Carla Jeager who stopped him, but another girl.

"I'm sorry I wasn't enough for you," were the words spoken by the girl who he had truly fallen for before she commit-

"C-Can you..." Mikasa swallowed hard, "turn it off?"

Eren smiled softly, dragging himself back to reality.

"Sure thing, Princess." He said, clicking the red x button on the browser before it was exited out of. He turned to Mikasa, noticing that she was shivering, so he grabbed a blanket and draped it over her.

Mikasa smiled and looked up at him. "Thank you."

"Anytime, Princess," Eren responded.

"No, not just this blanket. I mean... thank you for everything. For acknowledging me, for starting a relationship with me, for... being there for me. You take care of me." She proclaimed.

Eren tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear, getting entrapped by her beautiful grey eyes. "That's what boyfriends are for, Sweetheart." He said, the new nickname rolling off his tongue as if this wasn't the first time he had referred to Mikasa as that.

Mikasa hummed pleasantly from the contact the pad of his finger made with her skin.

"Ya'know, without you, I probably wouldn't be here right now." She declared.

Eren felt his heart sink of the thought. "Don't say that." He spoke softly.

"But it's true. I'm just glad that you're here so that I can say the same." She said. "What did I do to deserve you?" She mused, her smile slowly faltering.

Eren felt his heart clench and before he could fully process his next actions he was leaning into Mikasa, pressing his lips up against hers.

The shock Mikasa felt from the abrupt kiss quickly melted away when she found comfort in their kiss, leaning into him to deepen it.

"Being you is enough," Eren said between the kisses he gave her.

Mikasa bit her lip to suppress her moan. "Well, then I should keep being me." She concluded breathily.

"Yeah," Eren lightly sucked on her neck, "keep doing that."

Mikasa let out a ghost of a moan when she felt Eren's cold fingertips against her stomach. His hand trailed up her shirt, stopping right before her breasts, although Mikasa still felt herself flinch at his touch.

Grabbing him by the collar of his shirt, Mikasa pulled Eren into her roughly. Eren's hand slipped up and cupped her breasts, where she had failed to wear to a bra. A moan slipped past her lips, and despite the fact that Eren knew he should've asked for permission before continuing, the sound of Mikasa struggling to get his name out through her moans put him on a high.

So, he continued on, caressing the teat under the hoodie she wore which was technically his.

Mikasa felt a blush overcome her face as she bit down on her bottom lip to hinder the moans that threatened to spill out.

Each soft jab of his chin, the flick of his tongue against her lips, the noise of satisfaction that rumbled his chest upon their slight intimacy made her want this moment to last forever. Nothing stopped her hormonal train of thought until Eren caught her nipple between his fingers, making her stiffen.

Upon sensing her discomfort, Eren slipped his hand out from under her shirt and looked at her, already regretting his actions.

"Shit..." He muttered. "I'm sorry, Mikasa." He said.

Mikasa felt her heartache, watching almost helplessly as Eren backed away from her to give her space.

'No! No! No! Don't let him go! That was what you wanted, right?!' A voice screamed at her in her head.

"Y-You didn't," Mikasa cleared her airways, "you didn't make me feel uncomfortable." She said, although her voice wavered.

"B-But-"

"No buts." Mikasa swiftly cut him off. "I want this. Right here, right now." She proclaimed boldly.

Eren blinked at her. "Really?" He asked.

Of course, it wasn't as if he was asking because he was against the idea. He was asking because he wasn't sure if he'd be able to control himself.

As Historia said... his playboy attitude had practically become second nature, despite his acts to overcome it. And he knew that if they did have sex, no matter how hard he'd try, he wouldn't be in complete control.

Because his fuckboy instincts would be telling him to ravish her.

"Yes," Mikasa responded. "I want this."

She grabbed his hand and guided it to where he could feel her heartbeat on her chest. He could feel her pulse accelerate simultaneously as her blush deepened in color.

"I want to be yours."

Those were all the words Eren needed to hear before he smashed his lips into Mikasa's again, eliciting a loud growl of yearning to burn within his throat.

Maneuvering in a way in which Mikasa laid on his bed, Eren's body hovering over her frail figure, Eren managed to sneak in a few squeezing of her breasts in the process.

'Rip her clothes off.' His downstairs voice proposed. 'Penetrate her.'

'No. Cherish her.' His more logical voice protested.

Agreeing with the latter, Eren took things slowly. Trailing his fingers on her clothed inner thigh, Eren stopped himself from ripping her pants off completely.

Mikasa still reacted at his touch.

"Do you," Eren's lips ghosted Mikasa's ear, his hot breath making her downstairs voice scream. "Do you trust me?"

Mikasa nodded, afraid that if she parted her lips all that would exit would be moans.

"Perfect." Eren purred into her ear before his lips touched hers again as he found himself trying to unloosen the strings on her sweatpants to unclothe the lower-half of her body.

When successful, Eren slipped Mikasa's pants down, her socks coming off in the process. She whimpered, closing her legs in an almost embarrassed manner, knowing already that her womanhood was already moist from the fact that she was ovulating.

Eren noticed her slight discomfit and decided that she shouldn't be the only one who was bare, resulting in him separating their kiss momentarily to pull his shirt over his head. Tossing his grey shirt onto the wooden floor to join the pile of Mikasa's clothes, Eren leaned back down and connected his lips with Mikasa's again.

Mikasa used the sudden opportunity to finger the muscle that lined his arms. She hadn't even noticed that Eren was pulling off the hoodie she wore until it was up and over her head.

Realizing that she was the only one naked, Mikasa flushed bright red.

"I'm the only one naked." She said breathily, closing her legs in an almost ashamed manner.

"For now, Sweetheart," Eren lowered his finger to her still-clothed womanhood, "you're the only one that needs to be."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I was originally planning on including the smut in this chapter, but then I started to go over my limit of 3000 words soooo were just gonna save the smut for the next chapter. Don't get your panties in a twist though, it won't take hella long to update since I'm basically already halfway done.
> 
> Little side note: when I showed the chapter to my best friends both she and he said that I use very... descriptive words and I can be very blunt sometimes in my smut, compared to what I used to write at least. So just mentally prepare yourself for next chapter, although you should already be used to this cuz it's not one of my books without at least the mention of sex once or twice... hehe 😅 Anyways, that's all I've really got to say... so see ya in a bit ig.


	16. *Click*

'Holy shit. I'm going to lose my virginity.' Is all that seemed to cross Mikasa's train of thought during their current situation.

Well, it was all that seemed to cross her mind until Eren had rubbed a finger against Mikasa clitoris simply to see how she'd react—to see which methods she'd take pleasure from—which broke her train of thought. She felt her face scrunch up from the cold from his fingertips before her mouth fell open with a gasp.

Closing her eyes, Mikasa felt Eren draw circles along her clit. She bit back a moan or two, but when Eren then inserted his finger, everything froze.

She hadn't any time to adjust before Eren had begun to move his finger around.

Mikasa let out the moans she had been holding back oh-so desperately, and they all seemed to pour out as one loud, prolonged cry. Eren felt his trousers get tight near his groin area upon witnessing Mikasa's reaction, and he quickly added another finger to join his first.

He swore he saw her leg quake a bit.

"E-Eren." Mikasa breathed out his name before he silenced her with his own lips.

She moaned into his mouth, making him groan back almost as if he were trying to reciprocate her noises in a huskier manner.

"Shh," Eren shushed her as he broke their kiss, moving his fingers around within her almost rhythmically. "We don't want my mom to hear."

Mikasa nodded, although she whimpered as she tried to hold back her desperate moans.

Oh, how she wanted to scream and cry his name out in ecstasy.

Eren lowered his lips to her neck, suckling on her skin and biting at it. Leaving a trail of purple and red behind, Eren eventually raised his head to view Mikasa in all her glory.

Every curve and lump and scar screamed utmost perfection to him and he questioned how he managed to end up so lucky with this angel in his bed.

The tightness in his pants was beginning to shout at him to also pleasure himself and despite his efforts to ignore the demands his body made towards him, Eren found himself removing his two fingers from Mikasa's vagina, leaving a panting Mikasa underneath him as he slipped his pants and boxers off in one swift movement.

One moment, Mikasa was staring at his black pants, the next, she could see his sizable shaft in all its form.

The fact alone that she had given him a boner was enough to make her turn impossibly redder.

But then, a question came across the girl's mind.

How on earth was that thing going to fit inside of her?

Feeling uncertainty and apprehensiveness overcome her already, Mikasa swallowed hard and looked up at Eren worriedly. But his face alone was enough to melt her insecurities away and she soon found herself opening her legs up to him as a silent invitation.

Eren obliged immediately, moving closer to Mikasa as he held his member in his hand, positioning it in which his tip made slight contact with Mikasa's vulva.

She felt her head spin at the contact.

If she was already going crazy just from that small amount of contact, _boy_ was she unprepared for what was next.

Eren slipped his length inside of her with ease regarding the fact that she was already sopping wet.

"Oh, fuck." Eren groaned. He watched Mikasa, patiently waiting for her to becoming comfortable before he had begun to move again.

However, Mikasa beat him to it because she slowly swayed her hips up towards him.

Eren stiffened and tensed at the sudden movement, making Mikasa giggle at his reaction which she found to be adorable.

"Sweetheart, warn me before you start doing that." Eren stifled a groan.

Mikasa stifled a laugh. "Sorry." She said although she couldn't sound less apologetic and more amused.

For a second, she felt like she was in control. But that second passed as soon as it came when Eren began to move, switching their roles in which Eren had full control again.

Letting out a moan, Mikasa's finger dug into his back, her nails leaving small indents. Eren pushed his full length into Mikasa, and despite being wary about his mom hearing them and waking up, Eren still took an absurd amount of pleasure from the loud moans Mikasa produced.

Both teens were drowned in ecstasy.

Both teens were connected.

Both teens were one.

Both teens were in love.

"F-Fuck," Mikasa muttered out when Eren began to pull out before pushing himself back in, thrusting slowly.

Her head began to spin once again, the moans that spilled from her lips coming out as a desperate attempt to say his name.

Eren watched Mikasa's face as he thrusted within her, watching her pain slowly morph into pleasure.

' _Fuck, she's so beautiful._ ' He thought.

Mikasa's feet met behind Eren's back as if to trap him there, although she and him both knew that he wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. Mikasa cried out his name, the familiar, addictive, sensual feeling of an orgasm building up inside of her.

Eren groaned, Mikasa moaned, both making sounds that expressed them feeling like they were on cloud nine.

Well, both were making sounds the expressed feelings of pleasure until the sound of a camera shuttering filled Mikasa's ears.

She stiffened and looked up at Eren, wondering if he heard the bizarre noise as well.

He hadn't.

"W-Wait," Mikasa began breathlessly, "I-I heard... something."

"It's probably nothing." Eren tried to reassure her, leaning down to suck on her neck once again.

Mikasa's eyes nearly rolled to the back of her head until the noise came again and filled her with the unsettling feeling of apprehensiveness.

"E-Eren, stop!" Mikasa cried out, panic building up inside of her, and stopped her from feeling pleasure.

"This doesn't," Eren pushed himself deeper into Mikasa with a groan, "doesn't this feel good?"

"I-It does, but-"

"Let's just enjoy this," Eren said before Mikasa could finish.

Mikasa swallowed hard, trying to swallow her nerves, but her paranoia only seemed to impede her ability to feel pleasure. She only felt scared, worried that something terrible could be happening.

Now regretting her actions and realizing that her previous decisions were wrong, Mikasa put her hands on Eren's broad shoulders to stop him from going and deeper into her.

"Ugh! Why are you being so difficult?! I thought you wanted this!" Eren cried out to Mikasa in frustration, annoyed and uncomfortable as the feeling of an orgasm faded away in the most unpleasurable way imaginable.

Mikasa looked up at Eren, dumbfounded from his yelling, and felt tears swim in her eyes. She parted her lips to try to explain to him that she heard a noise, but then she clamped her mouth shut, scared that if she tried to speak all that would exit would be a sob.

"I-I'm sorry," Mikasa said through her whimpers.

Eren immediately felt guilt overcome him upon viewing the innocent, hurt expression Mikasa held.

"Wait, Mikasa. I didn't mean to raise my voice." He said, sound just as regretful as he felt.

He pulled out of Mikasa, Mikasa's body involuntarily quaking and tensing as he did so.

Closing her legs once Eren's shaft was out of her, Mikasa prompted herself up on her elbow before she sat up completely and shifted her position in which she sat at the edge of his bed, her feet dangling off the edge.

Eren looked at Mikasa as he sat on his knees on his bed, watching her sit up and gather her clothing piled on the floor. She slowly slid her underwear up and over her womanhood before she hurriedly put her pants on as well. Grabbing Eren's hoodie from the floor, Mikasa pulled it onto her body.

As she put on the hoodie, Mikasa stood up and walked over to a window in Eren's bedroom where she heard the noise, letting the hoodie hang on her arms in a way in which it covered her chest.

When all she could see outside was an empty street, she rose a brow as confusion overcame her.

"But I-I just heard something. I know it." Mikasa muttered.

Sighing, she shook and head and put on the hoodie fully.

"Never mind. I should go home. It's late and I have a test tomorrow." Mikasa's legs shook as she stumbled to the door. She kept her head down and gaze lowered, feeling guilty for breaking up the moment between her and Eren.

"N-No, no. It's fine." Eren shrugged it off, although he was silently wishing that she'd turn around and say that this was all just a joke as she ripped her clothes off to continue what they were doing.

'Or she could just blow me.' Eren's downstairs voice thought.

"I-I'm sorry," Mikasa said again before she left, leaving behind a conflicted Eren fully naked on his bed.

The tears that swam in her eyes felt no obligation in staying in her eyes the minute she shut his bedroom door because they then began to pour as Mikasa stood at the cusp of the top of the stairs.

She clung onto the railing as she walked downstairs, the tears that blurred her vision being no assistance in helping her see in the dark as she tried to traverse through Eren's house without tripping or waking up his mother.

When she reached the foot of the stairwell, Mikasa slipped on her converse and then left the house.

Tears flowing down her cheeks, Mikasa whimpered as she walked across the lawn to her house, shivering all the whilst.

'I should've stayed home. I should've stayed home. I should've stayed home. This wasn't supposed to happen. This wasn't supposed to happen. This wasn't supposed to happen.' Was all Mikasa could think as she reached her porch, stepped inside her house, took off her converse, and stumbled forward into the kitchen.

She grabbed a cup and filled it with water, quickly sipping the cool liquid as if that would erase what had just happened.

She didn't even hear Petra enter.

When Mikasa spun around and saw the girl standing there in the dark, she dropped her cup in shock, and the glass shattered at her feet.

"Shit." She muttered as she bent over and picked up the fragments of glass.

"Whoa, Mikasa. What's wrong?" Petra asked as she approached Mikasa.

Mikasa shook her head as if to say that nothing was the matter, avoiding eye contact with her in hopes of her not noticing the tears that flowed down her cheeks.

Petra did notice.

"Mika, why are you crying?" Petra asked, kneeling down next to her.

Mikasa shook her head, although she didn't even know what she was trying to say. "I-I'm sorry." She muttered. "That shouldn't've happened." She whimpered.

"Oh, sweetheart..." Petra mused, wrapping her arms around the girl.

Mikasa hugged Petra back, further dropping the glass she had just picked up.

"Petra?! Are you okay?!" Levi's voice was heard atop the stairs.

"Y-Yeah, Babe! I just dropped a cup! No worries." Petra yelled back, rubbing a hand on Mikasa's back as if to soothe her.

She didn't know it, but Mikasa was silently thanking her for not summoning her brother.

Who knows what Levi would've done to Eren if he found out that Mikasa was out at his house at such an ungodly hour.

"Okay, come back to bed quickly though!" Levi yelled back before retreating footsteps were heard, followed by the sound of a door closing.

Petra immediately shifted her attention back to Mikasa, worry coming over her.

"Sweetie, what's the matter?" Petra asked.

"I-I made a mistake." Mikasa managed to get out through her sobs. "A-A big mistake."

"Do you want to tell me about it?" Petra asked.

Mikasa was silent for a moment, contemplating what to do until she eventually nodded. "Y-Yeah. Just... please don't tell Levi." She said quietly.

"Of course. Here, let's go sit down." Petra said, helping Mikasa to her feet. She guided her to the living room and Mikasa sat down on the couch, bringing her feet up as she hugged herself.

"Here, let me get you something," Petra said, standing up as she retreated back to the kitchen. The sound of a microwave humming was heard seconds later until Petra eventually reappeared with a mug in her hand, heat emitting from the cup as steam that arose from the liquid.

"Here's some hot chocolate," Petra said.

Mikasa thanked Petra, holding the mug in her hands as Petra sat beside her.

"So... do you want to tell me what happened and why you were out at 1am?" Petra asked.

Mikasa inhaled slowly before she nodded, taking a few sips of the hot chocolate, the warm liquid smooth as it flowed down her throat and seemed to warm her entire being.

"I went to see Eren," Mikasa admitted.

"Okay... and what happened?" Petra asked.

Mikasa inhaled slowly, averting eye contact as her cheeks began to burn. "And we had... sex."

•

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	17. The Video

Ever since the previous night, Mikasa had felt guilty. Usually, every morning she would wake up early to have some time to call or text Eren before the day started, but instead, Mikasa found herself completely going against her routine.

She awoke on the living room couch, which was out-of-routine enough, but to add onto that, she ignored the calls she received from Eren. Instead of hurriedly getting ready so that she could call her boyfriend, Mikasa took her time getting ready. And instead of riding to school with Eren in his car, Mikasa let Petra take her to school on her way to work.

So, presently, Mikasa sat in the passenger seat of Petra Ral's vehicle.

The latter stole a few glances of Mikasa, unsure of what to say after what she had told her last night.

"So... do you plan on talking with him?" Petra eventually asked.

Mikasa shrugged. "I... I don't know. I feel guilty because he wanted it, and at the moment, so did I. But then I heard the noises and I... I freak out! What else was I supposed to do? And even though I might want to talk to him... I don't know if he wants to talk to me." Mikasa admitted.

Petra's expression morphed into one of pity. "But it wasn't a fight. From what I understand, when you left he wasn't yelling or mad. He was just sad and disappointed. Talk to him and maybe you two can figure something out." Petra advised as she pulled up to the school.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Thanks, Petra." Mikasa said. She picked up her bag from between her feet in the car as she opened the car door. "I'll see you later." She said kind of dejectedly since she wanted to continue spending time with Petra. The two had really gotten close in one night.

"See you," Petra said.

Mikasa exited the car and then closed the door as she pulled her backpack strap over her shoulder. She walked forward onto campus, pulling up her black turtleneck in which it covered her not-so pale neck, littered with hickeys. The bitten, flushed blotches of skin on her neck acted as a constant reminder to Mikasa, reminding her about what happened the previous night.

Reminding her that the previous night, she was in the midst of having sex before she ended hers and Eren's endeavor.

"Hey, slut!" A voice hollered from across the hallway.

Mikasa looked up to see the face of Annie Leonhardt, making her groan.

'Out of all the people in the goddamn world...' she thought.

Despite being much more confident and not affected by any which word of criticism thrown at her, Mikasa was still bullied. But the bullying had died down, thankfully, because of Eren.

Half the school new about her new relationship with Eren Jeager, and half the school we're either indifferent, agitated, or they couldn't care less.

Annie Leonhardt was number one on the list of those of which that was mad.

"You just never learn, do you?! Always going after guys who you don't deserve!!" Annie declared as she marched up to Mikasa, her clique following.

Everyone in the corridor stared, curious about what was happening, although most of them already knew.

"What are you going on about, Annie?" Mikasa asked, clearly annoyed.

"Oh, that's priceless!" Annie scoffed. "I'm talking about you, the whore who's been going around and sleeping with men willy-nilly. First, in 9th grade, you try to sleep with my boyfriend! Now, you're advancing on the new kid like he's some sort of toy!" Annie bellowed.

Mikasa's brows raised in shock. "Wh-What?"

'How does she know..?'

"You really don't know?! Go check the school board on the school's website!" Annie shouted.

Shoving into Mikasa violently to make her lose her balance and crash into the wall beside her, Annie walked past the noirette with her clique following.

"Slut," Hitch muttered under her breath, although she wasn't quiet because Mikasa still heard her.

Mikasa stood up, confusion, and worry overcoming her. She looked around at her peers, seeing them all look at her with distasteful expressions.

Some even glared at her.

Mikasa felt herself shrink under their gazes, and now, she wanted to see Eren. Despite the fact that earlier that day she was scared of seeing him, now, all she wanted to do was see him.

But she didn't.

As her heart clenched in her chest, Mikasa rushed to her locker and took out her books. The bell rang in the process which only rushed the girl, and her grip loosened on her books. They all clattered onto the floor so Mikasa closed her locker as she bent over to pick them up.

Her heart was racing a mile a minute.

All the students had cleared the corridor, leaving a disheveled and panicked Mikasa in the ground. Finally swiping up her textbooks, Mikasa got up and ran to her classroom. When she entered, she walked to her desk, ignoring eye contact with anyone. When she sat down, Mikasa looked to Eren's desk with multiple questions that lacked answers.

She looked to Eren's... empty desk.

She sighed, turning back to her backpack with a sour mood. She took out her notebook from her bag, then turned to her teacher.

Well, more like turned to the door, anxious for Eren's arrival.

'He has to know what Annie was blabbering on about, right? How does Annie know about us last night? Why does it seem like everybody else knows? Did he say something?'

Mikasa felt anxiety overcome her, the type of anxiety the eats one up on the inside, and fills someone with the urge to vomit.

It was like everyone was staring at her, judging her. Did they all know?

She shook her head.

This had to be her imaginary audience. No one was staring at her.

But still! How did Annie know?!

"Mikasa," Mr. Bozado's voice forced the girl back to reality. "Would you like to repeat what I just said?"

Mikasa swallowed hard.

'Oh no...'

* * *

Mikasa walked down the corridor with her sketchbook in hand, her pencil pouch in her hoodie pocket, and phone in her other hand. Bringing her phone up to look at the screen, she began to send Eren a string of panicked messages, all requesting an answer to something.

Me  
 _Babe, did you say something about last night?_  
 _Becuz Annie knows._  
 _Everyone's callljng me a slut today._  
 _Did something happen?_  
 _Babw?_  
 _Babe!_  
 _EREN!!_

Nothing. She received no reply. Although she did receive a 'Read 12:48pm' under her series of messages, and she took note of it.

Three dots began bouncing on the side of the screen, where Eren's text would come in through, and Mikasa waited anxiously for a response to roll in. However, instead, the dots stopped bouncing before disappearing altogether.

Mikasa felt her brows furrow in both confusion and agitation.

'Is he ignoring me?' She angrily thought.

Her fingers jumped around on her digital keyboard, slamming down on the digital letters almost angrily.

Me  
 _Eren please tell me what's going on._

No response. Not even a 'Read 12:49pm' message appeared under her new text.

With a prolonged sigh, Mikasa shoved her phone into her pocket and walked forward out to the yard.

'Fine. Two can play that game.'

Mikasa trucked onwards to the row of trees on the yard, plopping down under the shade of one of the large trees.

She opened her sketchbook and took out her pencil pouch from her pockets when her phone buzzed, sending a feeling of chills to radiate throughout her regarding the fact that her phone was in her back jean pocket. Fishing out her cellphone, Mikasa viewed her new notifications to see something out of the ordinary.

' __lovable.leonhardt_ mentioned you in comment'_

Mikasa cocked a brow, instantly clicking on the notification she received from her app for the school.

The school had a website, alike to Instagram, where students could post and check for upcoming events for the school.

Although Mikasa had dabbled on the app a few times she never followed anyone or posted anything.

So to be tagged by Annie Leonhardt of all people was a bit suspicious and you couldn't blame Mikasa for wanting to see what it was all about.

The app opened, and Mikasa was led to the post that Annie had mentioned her in through the comments. Mikasa read the comment, eyes widening all the whilst.

' _ **@mikasa_ackerman** is such a whore 😂._'

Brows furrowed in utmost confusion, Mikasa switched screens from the comments section to view the post.

She nearly dropped her phone in shock.

It was a video of her... last night... at Eren's house with... Eren.

They were having sex.

Tears welling up in her eyes, Mikasa scrolled up to see whose account the video was on, but she couldn't read the username because of the tears that blurred her vision. They fell onto her screen, and if Mikasa wasn't crying she would've assumed for it to be raining, regarding how wet her phone screen was getting.

Mikasa used her sleeve to wipe away her tears, sniffling all the whilst. When she could somewhat see, Mikasa looked back to her phone to view the account.

She dropped her phone, shock overcoming her.

"Eren's account." The words slipped past her lips as a whisper.

"Eren... h-he recorded us... a-and he posted it online." Mikasa breathed out dejectedly.

All her fears, her worries, her anxiety, came rushing back.

Was everything a lie? Her relationship with Eren, his declarations of love towards her, his promises. Was he lying just to get in bed with her? Did he ever love her?

Mikasa felt her heart clench as her breathing pattern staggered, hyperventilating as a panic attack overcame her. She held her head in her hands, gripping stressfully at her hair in which she felt a few frustrated strands being ripped from her scalp.

'I fell for it, I fell for it, I fell for it, I fell for it, I fell for it, I fell for it, I fell for it, I fell for it, I fell for it, I fell for it, I fell for it, I fell for it, I fell for it, I fell for it, I fell-'

"Mikasa?"

Her tears continued to pour as she looked up to view who had called her to see a staff member, looking down at her with a worried expression.

Nanaba, one of the women who work in the office, stood upon Mikasa. In her hand was a black walkie-talkie, the object the staff members use to communicate with each other throughout campus.

"Mr. Smith wants to speak with you," Nanaba said.

Mikasa swiped her tears away, heart hammering as she struggled to catch her breath due to her hyperventilation.

"Th-The principal? B-But why?" Mikasa asked, choking back her sob.

Nanaba shrugged. "I'm not sure. Come on, he doesn't want to wait." Nanaba instructed.

Mikasa nodded, exhaling a few shaking breaths as she staggered to her feet, leaning against the tree behind her for support.

If the tree weren't there, she's sure her knees would've buckled underneath her.

"I found Mikasa Ackerman. I'm taking her to the office." Nanaba spoke into the communication device.

Static was heard before an "alright" came in through the other end.

Mikasa grabbed her phone and slipped it into her pocket, then gathered up her drawing supplies as she followed Nanaba to the office. She looked around as she walked, noticing that the corridors were barren and when she looked at the wall clock, the time read 1:10.

Lunch ended eight minutes ago...

Mikasa shook her head and walked forward with Nanaba as she guided her to the principal's office. The door was open as if she were being welcomed inside.

"Mr. Smith." Nanaba caught his attention.

Erwin Smith, the school principal, looked up to see Mikasa standing in the doorway.

"Ah, Mikasa." He said, his lips quirking up into a small smile, tricking Mikasa into thinking up she wasn't in any trouble. "Please, have a seat." He gestured for her to come forward.

Mikasa obliged, stepping into the office as she took a seat on the chair in front of his desk.

"You're dismissed." Mr. Smith looked at Nanaba. She nodded, walking away to go back to her station.

"Y-You uh... You wanted to see me?" Mikasa asked, blinking away the tears that threatened to fall. Her heart was hammering in her chest, but she wasn't sure if it was because of the video she saw not too long ago or if it was because she feared having something terrible go on her squeaky clean record.

"Yes. In fact, I wanted to see both of you." Mr. Smith said, a bit disturbed about the fact that there weren't two students in his office as he had hoped.

"Both of us?" Mikasa questioned.

"Yes- Oh! There he is!" Mr. Smith declared, looking at the doorway behind Mikasa. "Eren Jeager, perfect timing. Come in and take a seat." Mr. Smith offered.

Mikasa stiffened, too scared to turn around as she heard footsteps near her. She closed her eyes when it sounded like the person was right behind her and before she knew it, she heard Eren's tired voice beside her.

"If this is about my tardiness, I'm sorry. I just-"

"No, this is nothing of the sort." Mr. Smith curtly cut him off. "I'm here to discuss the video you uploaded on the school website."

Mikasa stiffened at the mention of the thing that sent her into a state of panic.

"Wh-What about it?" Mikasa squeaked out. She hadn't looked at Eren yet. She daren't look at him. She feared that if her gaze did wander to him, she would just have an emotional meltdown right then and there.

"The video you uploaded was highly inappropriate, and I'm afraid that I have to punish you both." He admitted.

Mikasa's brows furrowed.

Yes, she could see why he would be punishing them both, but she obviously felt unfair.

"What? That's hardly fair." Mikasa declared although she was unsure of how she was able to keep her voice calm regarding the maelstrom of emotions that swirled around in her skull.

"From what the staff members and I can gather, you are also in the video. Meaning that you're both at fault." Mr. Smith defended.

"But I didn't know. I just found out this afternoon." Mikasa tried to justify.

Mr. Smith scoffed. "Don't try to lie, miss Ackerman. You're both suffering consequences and if you don't comply, I'll have to take further action."

"But-"

"That's enough!" Mr. Smith barked, silencing the girl who whimpered at his yelling. "Both of you will be suspended for a week."

"A week?!" Mikasa cried.

'There goes my clean record.' Mikasa thought.

"Yes. Keep yelling like that and I might just extend it." Mr. Smith narrowed his eyes.

Mikasa shrunk back in her seat, wondering why Eren didn't try to fight back.

'He must be used to this... getting in trouble for his acts.' She thought, evidently reminding her of why she was upset with him.

"You're both dismissed. I'll be calling your guardians to inform them of your suspension." He said, looking at both of the teens as he spoke.

Mikasa huffed, upset as she stood up and exited the office.

She heard footsteps beside her and when she turned to ask Nanaba if someone had retrieved her bag, she bumped into Eren instead. She staggered back, her nose pulsating.

"Shit." She muttered.

Her heart began to hammer as her gaze rose to meet Eren's. Eren looked at her, eyes locked with hers, and concern overcame his expression.

"I'm-"

"Mikasa."

Mikasa turned, hearing her name to see Nanaba who had called out to her. "Your bag." She said. "A student came to deliver it."

Mikasa nodded, walking over to Nanaba as she grabbed her bag, hands clammy.

She spun around, although her bag slipped from her grasp.

Mikasa muttered something incoherent as she bent over to grab her bag. In the process, her pencil pouch slipped out of her pocket.

Eren swooped in, picking up the girl's supplies. "Here." He said as Mikasa took her pencil pouch.

Mikasa mumbled a "thanks" although she now refused to look at him.

"Look, I-"

"Eren, I-I don't want to talk to you right now," Mikasa said.

She spun around and walked away from Eren to the front door, leaving a discombobulated Eren behind her, regret plastered all over his face.

Mikasa sighed as she exited the office, walking to exit campus altogether.

' _I can't believe how stupid I was._ '


	18. Breaking Up

Levi Ackerman groaned as he slammed his car door shut, irritation and annoyance bubbling up inside of him. His work shift was finally finished, and he was relieved, for he wasn't sure if he would be able to contain himself any longer.

A normal day at his place of work heavily insisted of kissing up to his superiors so that they would speak highly of him to the big boss, Mr. Ral, and help him in getting promoted. Kissing up to his superiors wouldn't be as troublesome as it is if Nile Dok wasn't a higher rank than him, however, things never seemed to be that easy, did they?

Five hours and 45 minutes he was able to restrain himself from punching that freeloader point-blank in the face. He swore, if he spent ten more seconds there, the security would be trying to pry him off of Nile's swollen and bruised face.

However, he somehow managed, and now he was in his car shaking with fury.

He eventually let out some of his pent up irritation in a string of muttered curse words before his phone chimed an annoying melodic tone, making him groan as he fished his phone out of his pocket.

Across the screen flashed the three words 'Titan Wall High', making Levi cock a brow, knowing that this was Mikasa's school. With a press of a button, Levi answered the call and brung his handheld up to his ear.

There was silence on the other end until a voice spoke up.

"Hello, this is Titan Wall High School. I'm calling for Levi Ackerman?"

"Yes, this is he," Levi replied, trying to hide his anger through his force professionalism.

"Okay, perfect. I'm Mr. Smith, the principal of this school. I'm calling about Mikasa Ackerman." The voice spoke on the other end, ultimately making Levi's suspicions raise.

"What about her? Is something wrong with my sister?" He asked, tone coated in worry.

"No, nothing of the sort. I'm here to discuss when she'll be able to return to school." He said.

Levi rose a brow. "What do you mean?"

"You mean she hasn't told you?"

"Told me what?"

There was silence on the other end for a second before a slow inhale was heard, followed by Mr. Smith's hesitant voice.

"Mikasa has been-"

* * *

Levi's hand came crashing down on the kitchen counter where Mikasa sat drinking some orange juice. The girl jumped in her seat, freezing where she sat on the stool by the kitchen counter. Petra who was descending the stairs with her purse in her grasp looked to Levi with a wary expression.

"Suspension for a week?!" Levi cried, his eyes narrowing at Mikasa. "Do you know what damage that would do to your record?!"

Mikasa felt herself shake a bit, inhaling slowly to calm her nerves which had jumped at Levi's exclaiming.

"H-How did you find out?" She asked through a trembling voice.

"How did I find out?! More like why didn't I find out from you!" Levi cried. "Coming home from work I get a call from your principal, saying that you and your boyfriend got suspended for uploading an inappropriate video to the school's website," Levi admitted, lifting his hand from where it slammed down on the counter.

"I-I didn't-"

"For fuck's sake, Mikasa, you guys were having sex! You've gotta be more careful about this stuff! You can't sleep with just anyone!" Levi bellowed, making Mikasa's cheeks burn and blood run cold simultaneously. Tears seemed to swim in her eyes nonetheless.

Petra had approached Levi at this point, rubbing a hand on his shoulder to try and calm him down. "Babe... relax. She's almost an adult, what did you expect?" Petra tried to soothe in a low voice. Levi shook his head, shrugging Petra's hand off his shoulder.

"Petra..." Levi warned. "What I expect is for her to sneak out to friend's house and braid each other's hair or whatever shit girls do. Not to sneak out at midnight to her boyfriend's house, have sex with him, and post the video on the school website. She's been suspended for fuck's sake!" Levi told his girlfriend. "She shouldn't be going out and doing that with just anyone!"

"But he isn't just anyone." Mikasa butt in. "I-I love him."

Levi sighed. "The only reason why I let you be in a relationship was because Eren made you happy. All I want for you is your happiness, you know that. But this is where I cross the line." Levi declared, brows furrowing.

Mikasa rose a brow, swallowing hard as the tears swimming in her eyes nearly fell. "Wh-What are you saying?" Mikasa asked, voice cracking. She seemed to already know what he implied, but the yearning for the likelihood of the unfortunate to be false seemed to make her ask the useless question anyway.

Levi's non-spoken response seemed to answer her question, the look he gave her already answer enough. Not that his expression literally spelled out a response, rather, his expression seemed pitiful towards her.

Because he pitied her for having to break them up.

"B-But, you can't... I- that's not fair!" Mikasa stammered, trying her hardest to contain the tears that threatened to fall. "I-I love hi-"

"Mikasa," Levi began, his tone shifted from infuriated to concerned. "It's for the best."

"How would you know?! You haven't exactly been there for me either! You're always at work or looking for a job that you can't even see that your own sister is suicidal! The only one who understood me... who understands me... is him." Mikasa cried. Her tone was coated in a mix of emotions, all negative towards Levi in which it shot a pang of pain through his heart.

He couldn't help but dejectedly agree with her mentally, knowing that he's been too preoccupied to sit down and talk with her.

"And you want to take him away from me!" Mikasa bellowed even louder, the raising of her own voice bringing herself to tears. She never liked to yell or to raise her voice, and the fact that she was yelling at Levi made it all the more alien and heartbreaking.

Mikasa felt herself shake with fury, making her hug herself as if that would cease her trembling. She inhaled, trying to calm her thundering heart once more (only to fail once more) as she looked up at Levi, her eyes glowing with tears that still hadn't fallen. They almost teased her and taunted her about their existence and their difficulty in spilling over.

"Do you even love me?"

Who knew that the first person to cry during their dispute would be the eldest child, the one tear that spilled over onto his cheek which he quickly wiped away making it obvious that Mikasa had taken it too far. A feeling of regret washed over her, yet her fury and solemnity overcame it and forbade her from saying something that would take her words back.

Right after Levi, Mikasa found herself sobbing, although hers was different in comparison to his. While Levi had only let one tear fall, which he quickly wiped away, Mikasa cried herself a river. She felt pathetic.

Petra approached Mikasa in hopes of soothing the girl as she lifted her hand to Mikasa's shoulder. The latter almost felt herself lean into Petra, although she shied away too quickly and hopped off her seat on the kitchen stool. The two adults stared at the teen with apprehensiveness, not exactly sure what they should do.

When she had shied away from Petra, it was obvious that she didn't feel comfortable seeking solace from them, so they were gambling as they guessed what she would do next.

Both were right, for Mikasa quickly pivoted as she dashed away. Out of the kitchen she ran, slipping her shoes on at the door anterior to her running out of the house.

Her destination was unknown, for she no longer knew who to seek the solace she needed from. Levi was the reason she needed aforementioned comfort and she knew he was with Petra and she daren't go back there. Thinking about Eren seemed to do enough damage in itself, and she didn't think she could face him.

Not yet, at least.

So she found herself walking around aimlessly antecedent to coming across a small park in which she suddenly rendered the place she used to always go to for comfort.

Her little place.

Her refuge.

With sudden determination, Mikasa sought out the area she had in mind. And upon finding the place, she sat down on the bench under the large tree and looked at her feet.

All her negative thoughts that she thought she'd never had to be faced with again came rushing back, just like when she was at school. Her melancholy fueled her tears, making her cry more than she had intended to when she left the house.

However, he tears that fell came to a halt when she heard footsteps, making her quickly wipe her tears away in the event that a pedestrian was walking by in hopes of them not seeing her in such terrible condition.

She lifted her head to pass whoever was passing by a friendly smile when she locked eyes with a familiar set of icy blue eyes.

Annie Leonhardt.

"Look what the cat dragged in." The girl snickered. Beside her was only one girl from her clique, Hitch Dreyse.

"Sorry, we thought you were a homeless person. We were about to kick you out." Hitch proclaimed with a smirk.

"Well, since you're just plain old Mikasa, I guess we can only harass you," Annie added.

"You are a slut after all. Sluts and whores don't have feelings, they just open their legs up for anyone." Annie continued on. "You were probably waiting for someone to come so you could fuck them again. What, are you a prostitute now?"

Hitch snickered. "With those clothes? She's nothing less than dirt."

The girls cackled, continuing on with their diminishing of Mikasa's self-esteem. The fact that her face was tear-stained didn't help her situation either.

It was in the middle of one of Annie's remarks when she was quickly cut off by a deeper voice, making the female oppressors silence themselves as they turned to face the speaker.

Behind them stood Eren Jeager, and both girl's demeanor changed upon seeing them. Hitch scowled, Annie scoffed and frowned, and Mikasa averted eye contact with him.

"What do you want, you fuckboy? Trying to get with one of us?" Annie scoffed, gesturing to both herself and Hitch.

"It's not gonna work. Scram." Hitch spat out.

Eren narrowed his eyes at them, approaching them slowly which made his presence all the more ominous. "Get the fuck away from her." He warned through grit teeth.

Annie smirked, stepping closer to him. "What are you going to do? From what I've seen, all you do is go around and fuck everyone." She taunted, stepping closer to him again.

"I said," Eren clenched his fists at his sides, trying his damn hardest not to physically impede the oppressor before him. "Get the fuck away from her."

Annie snickered. "Why? So you can fuck her senseless?"

Eren furrowed his brows, raising his clenched fists so quickly that Annie didn't even see it before it met with her jaw. She faltered back, holding her now bruised jaw as tears pricked her eyes.

"What the fuck?! You're a psychopath!" Annie yelled as Hitch shrieked. The latter quickly approached her friend, looking at her swollen jaw with a grimace before her gaze shifted to her assaulter.

"Get away from her!" Hitch cried.

Eren looked at his knuckles, then back at Annie and the look she had in her eyes.

"When I tell my father about this... you're so fucking screwed!" Annie threatened before she pivoted and sped away, Hitch following.

Eren looked as the two girls walked away at a quickened pace before he looked to Mikasa, worry flooding his features.

"Mika..." he mused. He approached her slowly, sitting down beside her. The girl felt herself shrink beside him, making her scoot over on the bench to put some space between them.

'The guy next to you is the one who betrayed you. He fooled you. He played you like a puppet. You fell for it so easily. He played with your heart and tried to get in bed with you. And you let him. You let him win. You lost. You're a weakling.' A voice chided at her in her head.

"I have something to say..." Eren spoke slowly and coherently, dragging the girl back to reality. "It wasn't me who posted the video." He admitted.

Mikasa breath hitched in her throat, her eyes widening as she looked up at him. "What?" She breathed out.

"I-I think someone hacked my account, but I didn't post it! I would never invade your privacy like that." He said. His eyes looked desperate, his solemn expression a desperate plea to her in hopes of her believing him.

"B-But... it's doesn't..." Mikasa's voice trailed off.

Nothing made any fucking sense.

She felt like she was going insane.

"But who...?" She breathed out.

"I-I don't know... but please believe me." Eren picked up her chin between his forefinger and thumb, making sure that they were making direct eye contact. "I would never do anything to hurt you."

"Wha-... why?" Mikasa squeaked our, her cheeks flushing at their close proximity.

"Because... I love you. You know this." He said quietly. His words prompted him to lean closer to Mikasa, and before the latter could have time to process his actions, their lips were pressed together.

Her lips were salty with tears and Eren could feel her warm face smashed against his. Mikasa whimpered as Eren leaned closer to deepen the kiss, shivers traversing through her spin as her body melted against his during their endeavor.

Her eyes rolled to the back of her head as her mouth fell open, giving Eren permission to explore her mouth more than he already had before. Her name slipped past his lips like a groan as he wrapped an arm around her waist, holding her in place.

Mikasa leaned into his touch, shifting where she sat in which their bodies were only a hair's breath away from each other.

"I don't want you to ever question whether not I love you or not..." He groaned as he lifted her up, walking over to a tree as she continued to keep their faces continued by their delicate lips. He pinned her against the tree, cornering her there, and a whimper snuck past her lips again as she felt her back hit the large trunk of the oak tree behind her.

"Because I really fucking love you." He groaned against her as he separated their kiss, trailing sweet kisses along her jawline and down to dip of her clavicle. He nibbled on the already flushed blotches on the skin of her neck, making her moan as she buried her fingers in the chocolate brown jungle atop his head.

She gripped at his hair, pulling him impossibly closer to her body which made his hips grind against hers.

The male threw his head back with a groan as he felt Mikasa's hips brush against the bulge he was sporting between his legs, and Mikasa stiffened at it.

'No, wait. This is how he got you the first time. He told you sweet nothings just to get pleasure. Don't fall for it again. Don't fall for him again.' A voice protested in her mind.

Mikasa tried to push him away, to oblige to her thoughts, but Eren stood his ground, rocking his hips against hers as his everlasting groans echoed between the small space between them.

"S-Stop it." Mikasa tried to breathe out, but she was quickly silenced by Eren's lips.

'Stop it.' Eren's logical voice chided. 'She's uncomfortable.' It pointed out.

'Just a bit longer.' His downstairs voice quickly protested. 'This feels too good.'

He lowered his hands to Mikasa's derrière, squeezing it slightly. The latter stiffened under the male, and although there was a part of her that wanted this to continue, the majority of her mind wanted their endeavor to stop. She felt uncomfortable. She wanted him off of her. Now.

"E-Eren, please." She whimpered.

Eren flat out ignored her words, making the girl feel almost helpless against him.

This wasn't what she wanted. This wasn't what she wanted. This wasn't what she wanted.

The pool of wetness that formed between her legs told her to simply go with the flow. But her mind was screaming at her for this to stop.

She listened to the latter, voicing out the words that made Eren stop all too quickly.

"Get off of me!"

Eren's movements against her stopped, and the sudden guilt on his face told Mikasa that he knew what he had done wrong.

He gave overstepped his boundaries.

He had made the love of his life uncomfortable.

Mikasa shoved Eren off of her, the latter backing away almost reluctantly.

"S-Sorry." He muttered out.

"So... this was what you want all this time." Mikasa voiced out before she could stop herself. "You never loved me... did you? You were just trying to get pleasure from me." She declared.

"N-No, it's nothing like that. I just got too carried away, I swear." Eren tried to amend.

Mikasa shook her head. "I'm done with being played with, Eren. I'm done with being your toy." She proclaimed. She inhaled slowly before continuing. "Levi told me that he didn't want us to be together, and originally, I was against it. But now I can see that he's right. You're just a horny fuckboy." Mikasa stated.

She turned on her heel, walking away from Eren slowly. "I think... we should break up,"Mikasa said. "Goodbye, Eren."

And with that, the girl walked away, tears pouring from her eyes.

"I won't forget you." She whispered.


	19. Jean Kirstein

For the next six days, Mikasa remained cooped up her room. She ignored text messages and calls from Eren, the only communication she managed to get in during the next six days being with either Levi or Petra, although it was still scarce.

To say that Mikasa and Eren's breakup had a bad effect on the former would be an understatement. It destroyed her. She found herself eating less, losing the will to get out of bed, and it was as if all the previous progress she had made on her mental health had shriveled up like a brunt piece of paper and diminished to nothing as if she hadn't made any progress in the first place.

She was back down the route of self-harm, multiple cuts stretching across her forearm and thighs now.

She was surprised she hadn't done more regrettable things yet.

Presently, she laid in bed, buried under her bedsheets and curtains closed. Her room was dark, engulfing her in darkness despite it only being 2 in the evening. She wasn't on her phone, she wasn't drawing or sketching anything, nor was she reading a book. She was just there, her body buried under her blankets as she counted her breaths, reminding her that she still walked the earth.

Although she was wishing she were instead six feet under.

A soft knock came from her door, followed by a gentle female voice.

"Mika? Sweetheart, are you in there?"

Mikasa inhaled slowly, parting her lips to speak, although nothing came out. Maybe it was because her throat was dry, or maybe it was because she didn't fucking care anymore.

A couple of moments of silence passed before the door eventually creaked open, despite Mikasa not inviting them in. Footsteps echoed into the room before they stopped in front of where Mikasa lay on her bed, bags heavy under her eyes as her porcelain under eyes were coated red from her nonstop crying the previous night.

"It's me, Petra." The voice spoke. "Are you awake?"

Mikasa gave a subtle nod, her blankets moving as she did so. Petra exhaled before sitting down on the edge of the bed, making sure not to sit on the girl.

"Levi and I are getting worried. You haven't been yourself." Petra spoke softly. "I just wanted to check if you were okay. Do you need anything? Tea? Soup? I'll get it for you." Petra offered.

Mikasa inhaled slowly, counting her breaths before she responded.

"I don't know what to do." She eventually breathed out through her raspy voice. "Just when things were going right for me... they just... weren't again. It's like I'm cursed to be depressed and miserable." She said, hugging herself under her blankets.

"Oh, sweetie, don't say that. Levi and I are always here for you." Petra said softly. "We were thinking of going out to eat tonight, and if you're up for it..." Petra offered.

Mikasa inhaled slowly. "I... I'll think about it."

Petra nodded. "Okay. I'll go downstairs and bring you some tea, you need to be drinking more fluids." The girl advised, tucking her ginger hair behind her ear. "I'll be right back."

She got up from the edge of the bed and her retreating footsteps were heard before the door closed. Mikasa sighed before emerging from her bedsheets, strands of her hair sticking up as she reached for her phone on her nightstand.

There were multiple texts and multiple missed calls from Eren. She pressed on the message notification, unlocking her phone as she viewed the string of text messages.

My Hero 🥵❤️🤟🏻😻  
 _I swear I didn't upload the video._  
 _I would never._  
 _Please believe me._

She read the small message under that group of texts, taking note of the 'send five days ago' under his messages. She then went onto the next string.

My Hero 🥵❤️🤟🏻😻  
 _Babe._  
 _I love you._  
 _Please don't leave me._

She read the small message under that group, seeing a 'sent four days ago' under it instead. Then, there was the next group.

My Hero 🥵❤️🤟🏻😻  
 _I just want you to know that I love and care about you. Just please let me know that you're okay._  
 _I'm worried._  
 _Princess?_  
 _Mikasa???_  
 _Mikasa!_

There was a 'sent three days ago' under that one. Then, there was the final group.

My Hero 🥵❤️🤟🏻😻  
 _I'm sorry if you were hurt in any way, but I just want you to know that I didn't post the video. I didn't, I swear. I love you. Please know that._  
 _I will never stop loving you._  
 _Mikasa?_  
 _Please be alive._

'Sent 2 Hours Ago'. He hasn't given up yet.

With a sigh, Mikasa clicked her phone off and set it back on her nightstand, burying herself in her blankets again.

She knew she should've blocked him. She thought it would help. 'At least change his contact name', a voice in her head thought.

Yet she still didn't do it.

Through it all, he still did save her. For a while, at least.

And Mikasa still found it hard to believe that it was Eren—her Eren!—that sent her tumbling down into the depths of depression once more.

* * *

Mikasa had taken Petra up on the dinner invitation, and now she found herself in the backseat of Levi's car. Black jeans wrapped around her legs, and covering her frail, malnourished torso was a large oversized hoodie, under it being a thin white undershirt.

Petra sat in the passenger seat, her outfit much more formal than Mikasa's as she wore a white sundress and brown boots. Levi wore khakis and a white shirt, over his shirt is a flannel.

The adult female turned back at the girl, a wary expression on her face. She then looked to Levi and sighed, shaking her head.

"You need to talk to her. She's your sister and she needs her family to be there for her." Petra quietly advised, hoping that Mikasa couldn't hear her over the faint sounds of the radio.

"I don't know what to say." Levi spat out, shrugging.

"Well, say something. There's only so much I can do and she needs you right now." Petra spoke again, her voice a whisper-yell.

Levi sighed. "Okay. I'll talk to her." He promised.

The song changed on the radio, making Mikasa's breath hitch in her throat. She leaned forward in her seat, catching Petra's attention with a simple clear of her throat.

"Can you turn it up?" Mikasa asked.

Petra nodded, turning the volume up in which the lady singing on the radio's voice became more coherent.

"You know the song?" Petra asked, turning back to Mikasa who began to hum along to the song. The latter nodded, a faint smile tugging at her lips subtly, although it was bittersweet.

"Yeah, my mom used to sing it to me." She admitted.

Petra's expression quickly morphed into one of sympathy, making her turn back to Levi as Mikasa sat back down in her seat.

"See," Petra whispered, putting her hand on his thigh as he drove, "her family." She emphasized once more.

* * *

When the two Ackermans and Petra entered the restaurant, they were quickly seated at their reserved table and left to look at their menus. After about 10 minutes, their sever approached their table with a wide smile on his face.

"Hi! Welcome to A-Tac Restaurant." Their waiter happily created.

Mikasa looked up to face the male who sounded surprisingly young, ready to order when suddenly she met eyes with a male who she had never seen before, although she was still taken aback.

Someone who looked about her age, maybe a bit older, stood before her. His almost ash-like brown hair was combed back neatly, styled with gel, as the sides and back of his hair fade off into a darker hue. His eyes were a perfect, intense, light brown.

And Mikasa felt captivated by them.

Not because he was handsome, rather, because he had the same intense look in his eyes as Eren. (Although the boy still was quite attractive.)

The boy felt entranced by Mikasa's eyes in the same manner, although for a different reason. He was completely captivated by her beauty, immediately falling in love with her ebony locks and silver eyes.

Both Levi and Petra noticed the two let silence suddenly settle between them, making both adults curiously raise a brow at the two.

 _'Was Mikasa seriously feeling attraction towards someone?'_ , was what the two adults were both thinking, completely overlooking the expression of overall surprise in her feature, rather than captivation.

The boy suddenly cleared his throat, realizing how silent he was, and parted his lips to speak again.

"I-I'll be your server, Jean." The boy quickly spat out in a rushed tone.

"Riiight," Levi drawled out, looking back to his menu. "I'd like black tea." He spoke.

Jena nodded, writing down quickly on his notepad as he turned to Petra for her order, unable to face Mikasa while the embarrassment from just staring at her still bore heavily over him.

"I'd like the sparkling peach pink lemonade," Petra spoke, Jean writing as she enunciated each vowel.

Finally, Jean turned to Mikasa, swallowing hard. "And for you, ma'am?" He squeaked out, hoping she didn't notice that his voice had cracked.

She noticed.

"The... uhm.." Mikasa squirmed in her seat. She knew it wasn't Eren before her. She knew his name was Jean. She knew he was simply just their waiter, but she still felt apprehensive.

"She'll take a water," Levi answered for her, noticing the girl's sudden uncomfortableness. Jean nodded, writing down one word before he repeated their orders to them for clarity. Petra confirmed with a simple nod, and with that, Jean walked away and disappeared behind the 'employees only' door, the word 'kitchen' written above it.

Petra turned to Levi, cocking her brow before she leaned into him.

"After I order my food, I'll go to the bathroom." She spoke into his ear. "Talk to her."

Levi nodded, shrugging the girl's worry away with a simple nod. "I will." He whispered back, locking his pinky with hers. "I promise."

Petra lightly squeezed her pinky tighter against his, not noticing that Jean had already returned all-too-quickly for Mikasa's liking with a red tray in his hand, two tall cups filled with liquid atop the tray and one mug.

He placed down the water in front of Mikasa, then the lemonade to Petra, and the black tea to Levi.

"For your orders?" He asked, taking his notepad into his hands again as he brought out his pencil.

The two adults ordered their meals, Mikasa just sitting silently in her seat throughout it all. Then, when it was her turn, she muttered her order out.

Jean nodded, hearing every syllable she quietly enunciated and writing down her order before he repeated their orders to them once again for confirmation, only for Levi to confirm with a nod. Then, Jean was gone again.

"I'm going to go to the ladies' room," Petra spoke as she sat up, taking a few sips of her drink before she disappeared down the corridor. A few seconds of awkward silence settled between the two before Levi broke it with a clearing of his throat.

"About Eren..." he muttered out, making Mikasa visibly stiffen in her seat. "I just want you to know that I do care about. And if you need someone to talk to... I'm always here." Levi said.

Mikasa nodded, shifting in her seat almost uncomfortably. "Right, thanks." She breathed out, her voice strained. She looked up at him, and when she saw the guilt that resided in his eyes, she quickly added an, "I mean it. Thank you."

His guilt lessened ever-so-slightly as he muttered out a nearly incoherent, "that's what family's for."

Another silence settled between them, however, this time it was much more bearable. It was neither awkward or unsettling.

Mikasa savored the thought that Levi, the most stoic person she's known, actually cared about her. And as Mikasa did that, Levi felt relief settle over him, glad that he had been able to say something to her.

The silence between them only lasted 20 minutes before the waiter returned, although this time Mikasa wasn't bashful. She looked him straight in the eyes as she took his meal from him, offering him a grateful smile that made his heart swell.

Levi noticed this, making him feel prideful towards his sister as he, too, took his meal, thanking the waiter as the last plate was set down in front of Petra's empty seat.

The two Ackerman's quickly dug in, finishing their food in a matter of barely over 10 minutes. Mikasa sighed in relief, her feeling of famish disappearing the minute she finished her food, washing it down with her water. She looked over to the seat beside Levi, noticing that the plate in front of it was still full of food, and the aforementioned food was getting cold.

Mikasa stood up from her seat, telling Levi that she was going to check up on Petra, and spun around.

However, the minute she began to head towards the women's restroom, the employees only door swung open and hit her right in the face. She stumbled backward before someone crashed into her again, spilling their beverage all over her.

Mikasa looked down at her light grey hoodie, the front side now covered in soda.

"Shit!" The person said. "I'm so sorry!"

Mikasa looked up, eyes locking with the person to see Jean. He looked utterly horrified, possibly worried about getting fired or reprimanded by his boss.

"It's fine." Mikasa tried to say, although her voice still wavered from the impact.

"Shit shit shit. No, it's not fine. I just ruined your hoodie." Jean rushed, getting out his towel to wipe it away. "Gosh, I'm so sorry."

He gave up his fruitless wiping, grabbing her by the arm instead as he led her through the employees only door. Mikasa rose a brow, watching as he guided her through the kitchen without being spotted and into the locker room.

"Where are you taking me?" Mikasa asked.

"I'm gonna get you a change of clothes," Jean replied.

Mikasa shrugged and sighed, letting him guide her wherever he was taking her. "Uhm... okay." She muttered.

_'I guess...'_


	20. Their Parting

Mikasa watched as Jean frantically dug around in one of the lockers, presumably his, to pull out a large sweater.

As if Mikasa's hoodie wasn't oversized enough.

"I-I'm so sorry." Jean stammered. "God, I'm such a mess."

Mikasa shook her head. "It's okay, I was rushing too. We're both at fault." She said.

Jean sighed as he showed her the sweater, looking disappointed in himself. "This is all I have. It's what I came here with."

"No, it's fine. I'll stay in-"

"No." Jean swiftly cut her off. "I insist. I don't want you to be uncomfortable."

Mikasa looked at him for a second (well, maybe a bit longer than a second) and saw the desperateness in his eyes. With a sigh, she gave in and took his sweater into his hand.

"Well, if you insist." She muttered. She held the sweater out to examine it, noticing that it was a sweater for a band she and Eren both loved to listen to whenever he drove to take her out places. She smiled at the memories, only to have the painful truth crashing down on her once again.

'He cheated you. Played you. He doesn't love you.'

Trying to ignore her thoughts, Mikasa quickly pulled her own hoodie over her hood in haste, forgetting that in front of her was still a boy—a prepubescent boy—who was a teenager who most likely felt the same way she did at times, sexually of course.

So, when her hoodie was off of her body and she could see him in all his bashfulness, she quickly remembered that she was wearing a dangerously thin, cotton undershirt that also got wet (she could tell cuz her abdomen was wet with the soda and a bit sticky, much to her discomfort).

So sure enough, when she looked down, she could see that her red bra was visible through her undershirt, making her turn as red as her undergarment.

Jean was equally as red.

He could feel a stiffness sprout between his thighs, making him cross his legs in what he had hoped looked like a natural way as he shifted in which his erection wasn't so visible.

"A-Ah, oh! S-Sorry! I didn't realize- err... I mean, I did!" Mikasa stuttered, turning redder as she continued to stammer. "Shit, I mean..."

Jean awkwardly chuckled. "No, no. It's fine." Jean said, averting his eyes. However, they couldn't help but lower to her chest only notice her red lace (lace!) bra once more.

He swore his hair would light on fire.

"Heh... Uhh... i-is there a changing room?." She asked.

"Oh! Uhm... there aren't." Jean muttered.

Mikasa cocked a brow, an "oh," slipping past her lips before she gestured to his eyes. "Can you... cover your eyes then?"

Jean nodded, quickly spinning around and covering his eyes as Mikasa slowly lifted her shirt over her head.

She quickly slipped his sweater over her body, giving him the ok to turn around, in which he did.

Jean felt himself get flustered at the sight.

Why was there something so appealing about seeing an attractive girl in your clothing?

"Is it okay?" The boy squeaked out.

Mikasa nodded, feeling the cotton between her fingertips are she trailed her hand up her abdomen. "Yeah, it's really soft." However, she quickly stiffened when she noticed how sexual her act was, since she was basically feeling herself up, making her quickly draw her hands back to her side. "Thanks."

"No problem. I'd hate for a pretty girl to feel uncomfortable." Jean said the bravado he'd usually have if he weren't so flustered returning. However, the bravado quickly slipped away in his grasp when he saw the girl's flustered expression, and she almost looked shocked, her eyes widening almost comically.

But before Jean could feel regret bear unto him, Mikasa smiled, her bashfulness evident in her shy expression. "Oh... thanks."

Suddenly, her eyes widened once more as she looked to him. "Wait! How am I going to give this back to you?" Mikasa asked.

"Oh, uhm... I'm not really sure. You can just keep it." Jean said.

"I couldn't. It's your clothing." Mikasa said. She tapped her finger against her chin as her eyes darted to the ceiling, humming as she tried to think of something.

Jean chuckled at how adorable she looked.

"When's your next shift? I can give it to you then."

"Oh... uhm... here's the thing..." Jean's voice trailed off.

 _'Oh no.'_ Mikasa instinctively thought.

"...This is my last day here."

_'Shit.'_

"Oh," Mikasa muttered, already deflating. She tried to think once more when suddenly an idea crossed Jean's mind and before he could fully consider it, he immediately voiced it.

"Maybe my school?"

"Huh?" Mikasa asked, not exactly quite heating him.

"O-Oh! I was just saying like... maybe you could give it to me at my school." He muttered. "But if you don't want to that's fine!"

"No, no! It's a good idea!" Mikasa encouraged. "Here, give me your phone. I'll give you my number to text me the location since I should be heading back." Mikasa gestured.

Jean hesitated for a moment and Mikasa caught onto it, but before she could fashion up an apology (for no reason whatsoever) he handed her his phone from the locker. "Alright." He said, watching her take the phone into her clammy hands.

He had unlocked it first with his fingerprint, so now Mikasa was just going to his phone to dial down her number and save it.

"Text me." She said, handing him his phone back.

Jean felt himself smile like an idiot at the two words that left her mouth. "I will." He said.

With that, Mikasa said her thanks and spun around, weaving her way through the lockers as she left the men's locker room. Jean was left there to ogle at the girl as she walked away, ultimately feeling the slightest bit of blood rush to his face (and penis), for he still couldn't get over the sight of her in his sweater.

Was it normal for him to be this ecstatic?

"Mikasa!" Petra exclaimed the minute the girl exited the 'employees only' room, startling the latter. "Where have you been? Levi and I were looking everywhere for you."

"Oh, drink spilled," Mikasa responded. She quickly pointed to her shirt, feeling her face heat up as she tried to clarify. "New shirt. He gave it to me."

Petra tilted her head at the ebony-haired girl questioningly, watching color rise to her face. Then, she clasped her hands together gleefully, a knowing smile stretching across her face.

"Oooh," she sang, her smile widening. "Don't worry, sweetie. I understand."

"Y-You do?" Mikasa asked incredulously.

"Fully," Petra responded with a smile. She locked hers and Mikasa's elbows together with a smirk, pulling her along. "C'mon. Levi's waiting."

* * *

As Mikasa exited the car, she walked up the steps to the porch when suddenly Levi, who was walking in front of her stopped in his tracks. "Shit! I forgot to get the mail." He said with a groan.

"It's alright. I'll go get it." Mikasa offered.

Levi cocked a brow, still feeling apprehensive around the girl. Although on their way back home, she was acting a bit chirpier than she was when they left the house.

"You sure?"

"Yup." Mikasa nodded, grabbing his keys. "I'll be fine. It's not that far."

Before Levi could protest, Mikasa started to walk away in the direction of the mailbox. The former just watched as the latter sauntered away into the crisp fall air.

"Let her go," Petra commented. "She's in a good mood."

Levi looked at his girlfriend with apprehension before he eventually gave in with a sigh, walking away into the house as the female followed.

As Mikasa walked down the road to the mailbox, she found herself admiring the sky. It was the time of day when the sun was meeting the horizon, staining the sky with the beautiful mix of magenta, red, and whole other myriad of other wondrous warm colors.

She inhaled the refreshing air as she walked forward to the mailbox, her gaze still glued to the sky when she reached for their box number when suddenly, she grabbed onto something other than the mailbox. She looked up, seeing that she had grabbed onto someone else's hand instead. When she found the owner of the appendage, she jumped back.

"Whoa, Sorry. I didn't mean to startle you."

Mikasa stared at them with hooded eyes before that bulged.

"E-Eren." She breathed their name. "Wha- Why are you here?"

"Uhm, getting my mail?" He answered, chuckling lightly.

"Oh... right," Mikasa muttered. She took a step back, letting him get his mail before she got hers.

He understood her gesture, quickly getting his mail from their neighborhood's conjoined mailboxes when he stepped back to let Mikasa get hers.

She did.

She nodded awkwardly in a way of parting when Eren suddenly spoke up, calling her name as she was walking.

She stopped dead in her tracks.

"What is it, Eren?" She asked, turning back to look at him.

"Can we..." he cleared his throat, "can we talk?"

Mikasa sighed, shaking her head. She was struggling to keep her composure.

In all honesty, there was a part of her that wanted to go back to him. To forgive him.

But then there was the other part, the logical part, that told her otherwise.

'Remember what happened the first time?' It whispered to her, making her cringe as she was forced to remember being at lunch and looking down at her phone screen to see her and Eren having sex.

She could remember hearing her moans through her phone speaker as he slipped his finger in her heat so easily as if she were already so desperate.

She wasn't the only one who noticed, for others noticed too on the comments.

_'Wow, she's already wet lol.'_

_'She's such a slut.'_

_' **@** **mikasa_ackerman** is such a whore 😂'_

The comments kept flashing in and out of focus in her mind, and tears pricked her eyes as they did.

"Mikasa?" Eren called her name, dragging her back to reality.

The girl looked to him, eyes glossed over with tears and expression saddened.

'No, don't go back to him. He only causes you pain.' A voice advised her.

She finally began to listen.

"I-I'm sorry." Mikasa sniffed, using the sleeve of the sweater she received from Jean to wipe away her tears. "I don't think I can."

Eren felt his heart shatter.

"Are you sure? I-I didn't post it, I swear. I would never do anything like that to you." Eren proclaimed as he stepped closer to her. He rose his hands to meet hers and before he could pull back, he had grabbed the appendages.

"Eren..." Mikasa muttered, stiffening as he grabbed her hands. "You hurt me." She proclaimed.

Eren seemed to get hurt by those three words.

"Please... let me explain. Let's just talk about it." He begged, giving her hands a light squeeze. "Let's talk about us."

Mikasa tensed up at the word. "There is no us, remember? You ruined it."

Tears formed in the male's eyes, as well as the female's.

"No." He whispered, his grip loosening on the girl. "You can't mean that." He muttered.

"I'm sorry, Eren." She said, the first tear from their conversation sliding down her cheek.

They stayed like that for a moment; standing in bitter silence as Eren continued to hold her hands, his grip continuously loosening on hers.

Finally, Eren spoke up through his conflicted feelings.

"I still love you."

Mikasa sighed, slipping her hands out of his grasp to wipe her tears away. "You shouldn't say that." She muttered, her gaze flickering to the floor.

"But it's true! Just let me explain, please!" Eren pleaded.

Mikasa groaned, shaking her head frustratedly. "Eren, why can't you just understand?! You ruined me! Broke me! You took my virginity and when I stopped, you got mad and posted the video! That's it! There's nothing more to it!" Mikasa screamed at him, her sudden rise in volume bringing tears to her eyes again.

"Do you... really think that that's what happened? You think I got mad because you didn't let me have sex?" Eren asked incredulously.

"Well, yeah! There's no other explanation!" Mikasa bellowed as if it were the easier thing ever. She shook her head again. "How many times have you done this?" She lowered her voice.

"What?"

"How many times did you break a girl's heart?!"

Eren sighed, averting his gaze. "More than I'd like to admit." He muttered. However, he quickly looked back at her. "But I've changed!"

"Well, I beg to differ!" Mikasa cried. Multiple tears began to pour from her eyes now and she wiped them away only to have more fall in place of them.

"But I-"

"Stop!" Mikasa screamed, silencing the brunet. She shook at how loud she had spoken, a few tears still falling.

"Eren... you're a player. Always have been, always will be." She spoke, shaking her head. "And I... fell for you."

She sighed, pivoting on her heel and walking away.

"I'm sorry, Eren," Mikasa muttered as she walked away. When she was across the street, she turned back to face him.

All she could see was a heartbroken teenager, and it was as if she were looking in a mirror that only changed her gender and physical appearance.

'I remember coming home and having that same expression on my face. Heartbroken and disappointed.'

She shook her head, parting her lips to speak once more before she left.

"I can't get back together with you... even if my love for you still remains." She said before she spun around and walked away, out of sight.

Eren didn't hear her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> e v e r y t h i n g i s f i n e


	21. His Discovery of Them

As Mikasa trucked down her high school corridor towards her locker, her phone buzzed in her jean pocket. She quickly fished it out to see a text from Jean, making her smile since the two had been texting a lot.

It had only been a few days, not even a full week, yet they had been texting nonstop. Mikasa excused their excessive texting, thinking that it was only because she still had his sweater, but she knew damn well that there were other reasons why.

Mikasa giggled as she saw the three dots bouncing on his side of the screen before a new text rolled in, expressing a bit of sarcasm. She giggled once more, although she wasn't looking where she was fully going because she had bumped into something.

She looked up, seeing that she had bumped into Annie and she prepared herself for the worst.

Annie only stared at her for an uncomfortable amount of time before Hitch tapped her shoulder and pointed to Mikasa's phone by her feet since Mikasa had just dropped it. Annie gave her a certain look before Hitch seemed to understand, picking up Mikasa's phone and handing it to the blonde.

"Let's see. Trying to get in bed with someone else?" Annie questioned, staring at the girl's phone. She scrolled through the messages before she scoffed. "You're such a fucking slut. Don't you get it? Nobody likes you! Stop trying to make friends, it's never going work."

Mikasa averted her eyes.

"Hey! Eyes up here fucktard." Annie snapped her fingers in Mikasa's face.

Mikasa didn't oblige.

"Is this bitch ignoring me?" Annie snarled.

"C-Can you please give me my phone back?" Mikasa asked, although her eyes were still glued to the floor. Her voice was anything but demanding, instead of being a wavering and self-conscious mess.

Annie nearly burst into laughter, instead, giggling, before she spoke up. "Sorry, I don't really listen to whores who open their legs for anyone. Good effort though." Annie teased, clapping her hands together for a while before she was abruptly cut off.

"Annie, give her her phone back."

Annie turned around to face the speaker to see Eren standing tall before her.

"And you expect me to listen to you, why?" Annie asked. "My jaw still hurts from when you punched me, you fucking psycho."

"I expect you to listen if you know what's best," Eren warned, stepping closer to her.

Annie stared at him, but suddenly shrunk in his shadow. She scoffed, rolling her eyes as she dropped Mikasa's phone and walked away.

"Whatever." She muttered. "Cmon girls."

Her clique followed right behind her.

Mikasa watched as they walked away, exhaling a breath of relief. Although she knew that it was best for her to avoid Eren, she still felt grateful for him. It wasn't easy to chase Annie away so easily, because unlike the rest of her clique, once confronted they'd run away with their tail between their legs. However, Annie stood her ground.

But ever since Eren had punched her, she seemed to shy away from him.

Thankfully.

When Mikasa turned back to Eren, she saw that he had picked up her phone and was reading her texts between her and Jean.

For a strange reason, she fell into panic, worried that he might get the wrong idea. She felt the need to clarify when a thought crossed her mind, bringing a terrible reminder with it.

'You're not in a relationship with him anymore.'

But still, despite that thought being the truth, she still wanted to say 'he's just a friend'. She wanted to dismiss whatever suspicions he was having of her and the boy.

But before she could even part her lips to speak, Eren sighed and turned to her with a small smile as if he understood. He handed Mikasa her phone back, his heart clenching as she took the handheld.

"I believe this is yours."

Mikasa nodded. "Y-Yeah." She slipped her phone into her pocket. "Thanks."

Eren muttered a goodbye, waving as he walked out of the school doors.

Mikasa shook her head, focusing back on the task at hand as she opened her locker. She quickly shoved her books inside and took out a folded sweater anterior to her shutting it. She fished her phone out of her pocket once more as she rushed to the school doors, not ready to face Annie again as she turned left instead of right.

She quickly texted Levi that she would be home late due to her working on a school project, but she knew otherwise.

She was going to see Jean.

* * *

Me  
 _I'm outside your school_

Jean  
 _No way._

Me  
 _Come check_

Mikasa looked on to the school doors of Shingeki High, watching students pour out one by one. She watched anxiously before she eventually saw Jean exit, sporting a grey shirt and a red and black flannel rolled up to his elbow pit to expose his toned forearms. His lower half was clothed with a simple pair of khakis and dark shoes.

Upon spotting him, Mikasa called out his name.

"Jean!"

The boy looked around until his eyes finally landed on Mikasa, making him smile and take in her appearance.

She wasn't wearing anything revealing, only some black, ripped jeans and a red shirt, over it being a thin cardigan. He was a bit disappointed by that, but he didn't show it.

"Hey, there." The boy greeted her as he walked over to her, smiling all the whilst.

"I've got your sweater," Mikasa said, holding out the folded apparel. Jean said his thanks as he took it into his hands, noticing that the sweater was much softer. "I washed it," Mikasa added.

"Ah, thanks." Jean hummed.

Mikasa nodded when she suddenly looked over his shoulder to see a group of familiar people exiting the school.

Sasha, Armin, and Historia. With them were two other people Mikasa failed to recognize, one being a tall female brunette with her arm draped over Historia's shoulder and the other was a male with hair a bit longer than a buzz cut, but not longer than a few inches. He walked beside Sasha with his hand in hers as he spoke to Armin with a smirk on his face.

Mikasa swallowed hard, remembering three of the five people almost instantly.

"Eren's friends..." she muttered.

Jean cocked a brow, following her gaze to see the group of people exiting the school.

"Oh, you know them?" Jean asked.

Mikasa nodded. "Y-Yeah... they're my... my ex-boyfriend's friends."

Jean's expression morphed into one of pity, and he parted his lips to say something to reassure her when a hand suddenly came crashing down on his shoulder. He turned back, startled, to see the taller man with a buzz cut who was previously walking with Sasha behind him with a smirk.

"Hey, Jean." The boy energetically greeted his friend. "The gang and I were going to go hang out at Historia's. Wanna tag along?"

Jean looked back to Mikasa with concern, but she only passed him a reassuring nod. "Go on. I can walk back home." She said.

"Eh, not right now, Connie. Let me drop my friend off at home first, but I'll be there later." Jean said, ignoring Mikasa.

The boy—Connie—acknowledged Mikasa with a cocked brow. "Oh, who's this?"

"Mikasa," Jean answered.

Connie nodded slowly with a thinking expression before his eyes lit up as if he had just remembered something. "Oh! You're Eren's girlfriend, right?"

Jean jumped up at that. He turned to Mikasa, asking a question with his expression. "Eren's... girlfriend?" He mused.

"N-No... not anymore at least," Mikasa muttered.

Connie sucked in a breath through his teeth. "Oooh, he never said anything." He said. "You sure that you can do better than my boy, Eren, though? He talks about you nonstop, it drives me insane." Connie asked.

Mikasa stiffened at his words, taking them in the wrong way. "Wait... d-did you know?"

"Know what?" Connie asked.

"Th-That... that he'd post the video?"

Connie turned to her, confusion evident all over his expression. "What video?"

Mikasa bit down on her bottom lip and averted her eyes, shaking her head. "N-Never mind." She sighed. "Jean, I'll just walk home. Go hang out with your friends." She suddenly felt somber, being forced to remember the video of her and Eren.

Their leaked sex-tape.

Before Jean could protest, Mikasa pivoted on her heel and walked away. Connie shrugged, looking at Jean with an unreadable expression. The latter turned to his friend, cocking a brow.

"What?"

"You gonna chase after her?"

Jean's brows furrowed in confusion. "What?"

"Bro, I saw the way you looked when I said she was Eren's boyfriend. You don't react like that without feeling something towards someone." Connie proclaimed.

Jean's brows furrowed even further. "Your point...?"

Connie scoffed, shaking his head. "And I thought I was dense."

"What are you-"

"Go after her, Jean." Connie swiftly cut him off. "She's single and I know that look on your face when I see it."

Jean rolled his eyes, crossing his arms. "And what look is that?"

Connie scoffed one more with a chuckle, shaking his head as he laced his fingers behind his head. "You like her."

At those three simple words, Jean felt color rise to his face. Sure, he acknowledged the butterflies that danced in his stomach whenever his phone vibrated because of a message from her, but he never labeled his feelings.

Infatuation? Maybe. Entrancement? Possibly so. But a liking that goes deeper than friendship?

He didn't know whether or not that was true.

But judging by the blood that rushed to his face (and penis) at the thought of her, it might possibly be so.

"We'll see you later at Historia's." Connie simply said, and with that, he was off.

Jean watched his friend's back as he returned to his girlfriend, Sasha, who awaited him by his car. Jean watched Sasha planted her lips on Connie's cheek and his on her forehead before they got into the car.

'Could I have a relationship like that with Mikasa?' Jean wondered.

Before he could ponder any further, he remembered that she had been walking back home. He quickly spun around, eyes searching the scene for her when he suddenly saw her down the sidewalk. In haste, he ran after her, and upon reaching her, he grabbed her forearm before she could cross the street.

She turned around and faced him with a shocked expression.

"J-Jean?" His name fell from her lips.

"Let me take you home." He offered, although it seemed as though he wasn't going to take no for an answer. "Please. You walked 30 minutes out here for me, it's the least I could do."

Mikasa watched him intently, watching the desperation in his expression before she exhaled slowly.

"Alright." She breathed, turning to him fully.

Jean smiled in accomplishment, immediately leading her to his car in the large school parking lot.

They walked side by side, and Jean looked over to her as they walked to notice how small her figure looked beside his. He instantly blushed as Connie's words came across his mind again, and he found himself pondering the thought once more.

Did he like Mikasa?

They haven't known each other for a full week, so it could just be simple infatuation.

But still... no one excites him more.

And no one (and by no one he means not one fucking being on this earth) has ever been enough to fuel his (erotic) fantasies.

So maybe... just maybe... he might actually like Mikasa.

"Is this it?" The girl engrossing his thoughts dragged him back to reality.

Jean looked over to her, noticing that she was right next to his vehicle.

"Pardon?"

She snorted. "Is this your car?" She asked, noticing that he had been zoning out the entirety of their walk.

"Oh, yeah. Sorry... I'm just a bit out of it." Jean apologized.

Mikasa shook her head. "It's alright. We all have our moments."

Jean chuckled, reluctantly agreeing with her as he fished his keys out of his pocket. He unlocked the car and both teens climbed into his car, Jean going to the driver's seat and Mikasa on the opposite side.

"So, to your home?" He asked.

Mikasa nodded, pulling the seatbelt over her body. "Yeah," she buckled up, "my home."


	22. Asking Her Out

To say that these past few weeks were the most Jean had ever pondered over one thought in his life wouldn't be an exaggeration.

During class, he found himself zoning out and wondering if whether he had feelings for Mikasa or not, think about her all the whilst.

Thinking about her beautifully pale skin and how it might feel under his fingertips. How soft her pink lips would be pressed against his, and how they'd slightly part as she moaned out his name.

So yeah... he had been thinking about her a lot.

Even now, as Jean sat across from the girl, it was all he could think about.

The two had bumped into each other at the mall, and one conversation led to another until they were eventually shopping together. Mikasa's stomach growled when they were in a store, Jean noticed, and now the two were seated at the food court eating frozen yogurt.

Jean still pondered Connie's words, still not having a reason as to why he kept on using every opportunity he got to talk with Mikasa. However, Mikasa knew her own reasons.

It's because he's from another school.

It's because he doesn't know that much about her.

It's because maybe they could start a fresh friendship together.

Although, her trust issues still remained. Now more than ever after Eren.

Mikasa's eyes wandered around the food court before they landed on a pair of familiar green eyes, making her stiffen.

Was it... Eren? Was it possible that everywhere she went, every time she thought about him, he was there?

However, before she could ponder any longer, she immediately jolted from her train of thought at the feeling of a cold substance sliding down her chest. Her gaze drifted downwards to look at the offending strawberry frozen yogurt slowly slide to the cleft of her cleavage.

In her current situation, any normal person would've grabbed a napkin am wiped the pink slush away.

However, Mikasa was supposedly raised in a zoo where they don't teach table manners.

Because opposed to doing what a smart, rational person would do, she instead scooped the mess up with a dainty swipe of her forefinger and popped the digit into her mouth. Her tongue swirled around where the strawberry goodness could be found before she ultimately made eye contact with the teenage boy sitting across from her.

He stared at her, bug-eyed, and face flushed as Mikasa slowly pulled her finger out of her mouth, it exiting with a pop that made his Adam's apple bob. Mikasa, too, flushed bright red.

She hadn't known how to feel about the fact that he continued to stare, dropping his previously raised hand that held a spoonful of his own treat down to the table in which the plastic spoon landed back into the paper container.

The two continued to stare for just a few more suffocating seconds before Mikasa backed down, averting her eyes as they darted around to look everywhere but him.

She could still feel his eyes on her.

Mikasa searched for something—anything!—to distract her when her eyes landed on emerald irises once more. She swallowed hard before the person fully faced her and she noticed that it was instead just another male, making her relax.

Of course, it wasn't him. The person had much lighter skin, she could observe.

Jean was still internally panicking, reveling, and also not-so-much-reveling in how the scene made his stomach churn and heart jump. He tried to quickly think of something that would clear the air and break the suffocating silence that begun to settle between them. Finally, something came across his mind and before he could even consider the topic, his lips parted and he spoke.

"What did you mean when you were talking to Connie?"

Mikasa turned to look at him and she cocked a brow at him. "Huh?"

"The video? You said something about a video when Connie brought up Eren." Jean asked.

Mikasa stiffened upon recognition, and Jean noticed. His mind fell into a frenzy and he struggled to think of an apology (for no good reason), but Mikasa beat him to speaking.

"Oh... uhh... Eren posted a video." She said, averting her eyes. She swallowed hard. "It was... uh... it's was us and we were..." She let the sentence dangle as she swallowed hard again, a lump forming in her throat as tears formed in her eyes.

"I-I'm sorry." Mikasa shook her head, wiping her tears away before they had the opportunity of falling.

"Don't be." Jean shook his head. "And you don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

Mikasa looked up at Jean, looking at the intensity in his eyes that reminded her of Eren. She sighed then, shaking her head. "N-No... as my friend, you deserve to know." She said.

She was silent for a bit as she inhaled slowly, then parted her lips again. "Uhm... when we were dating we uhh... we were... we were having sex and h-he was recording it." Her voice cracked. "And I got cold feet so I stopped before we could finish and... and he posted the video online for everyone to see," Mikasa admitted, tears forming in her eyes.

She apologized once more, willing her tears away, although the liquid in her eyes didn't listen.

Jean grabbed her hand atop the table, squeezing it slightly to offer her comfort. "Don't apologize." He muttered, shaking his head.

"I-It's just that... I-I really trusted him. I loved him... and h-he betrayed me." Mikasa said, tears falling onto her flushed cheeks.

"Well, you did know that he was a player, right?" Jean asked. "He at least told you, didn't he?"

Mikasa nodded. "Y-Yeah, I knew. But he said that he'd change. He promised me." She emphasized.

"B-But he broke his promise." She whimpered.

Jean stood up and sat beside her, tucking her into his arms. He rubbing her arm soothingly as he hugged her, trying to calm her down. "It's okay." He said.

Mikasa shook her head. "It isn't, though." She said.

Jean exhaled, not sure what to say to reassure her, so he instead said what had been on his mind all week.

"Ya'know, Connie told me that I liked you. He told me to ask you out."

Mikasa looked up at him. "He did?"

Jean nodded. "Yeah. At first, I didn't believe him, but now I know that these feelings are true and I want to date you. I know you just got out of a bad relationship, but listen to me."

Jean shifted and held both of her hands, releasing their embrace to look her dead in the eye. "I won't do that to you. I promise I won't."

Mikasa looked at him, eyes widening ever so slightly and cheeks flushing red.

"So... do y-you want to go out?"

* * *

Mikasa couldn't tell you the reason why she said yes. Well, she couldn't give you an exact reason, at least.

Because she loved Jean back? Because she reciprocated his feelings of affection?

No, actually.

It's because she wanted someone to take her mind off of Eren.

But everything felt wrong. Jean felt wrong. He was a great friend, and Mikasa was sure that he'd be a good boyfriend.

But not for her.

Because, despite all that's happened, she still loved Eren. For 4 months, he was her ride or die. Even if they had only known each other for a while, she fell for him. And she fell hard.

But they didn't work out.

Sadly. Unfortunately.

So, no, Mikasa couldn't tell you the exact reason as to why she said yes to Jean.

And she sure as hell couldn't tell you the reason why she and him had a date later that week.

Currently, Mikasa laid spread-eagled on her bed, staring at the ceiling. The white, blank ceiling was her canvas and her thoughts were the paint as she theorized what would happen during their date.

If she were being technical, she never said yes to being his girlfriend, she only agreed to the date.

'Ugh, who am I kidding? Jean thinks we're dating now and unless I clarify, he'll continue thinking that we're boyfriend and girlfriend.' Mikasa thought.

With a sigh, Mikasa sat up and looked forward to see her door wide open. Leaning against her doorframe was the figure of Petra Ral, startling Mikasa.

Petra giggled at the sight of a slightly startled Mikasa.

"Did you not notice me walk in?" Petra asked with a grin.

Mikasa shook her head.

"What's gotten you so deep in thought?"

Mikasa sighed again, laying back down on her bed. "Jean asked me out." She exhaled.

Petra perked up at the news, immediately walking over to Mikasa to sit on the edge of her bed. "What'd you say?"

"I said yeah."

Petra smiled. "That's great." She said. However, when she noticed Mikasa's lack of enthusiasm, she cocked a brow. "Is it not?" She added questioningly.

Mikasa exhaled, shrugging. "I... I don't know." She sat up and looked at Petra as if she really needed advice. "I mean... is it bad that I might still love Eren?"

Petra shook her head, stroking Mikasa's hair. "No, it isn't, sweetie," Petra reassured.

Mikasa groaned, laying back down. "But I feel like it is. He literally committed a crime, yet I still have feelings for him." Mikasa groused. "What on earth is wrong with me?"

"Hey," Petra stopped Mikasa before she could belittle herself, "nothing is wrong with you. You can't control your feelings, but you can control what you do about them." Petra said.

Mikasa looked up at Petra. "Huh..." She hummed. "I never thought of it that way."

Petra smiled. "Well, now you do." Then, she hopped off the edge of Mikasa's bed. "I came to check up on you and tell you that Levi and I are going out. We'll be back later on in the evening."

This grabbed Mikasa's attention, making her perk her head up and look at Petra. A sly grin formed on her lips as she cocked a brow at Petra.

"A date?" She hummed.

Petra nodded. "Yeah."

Mikasa smiled, sitting up fully. "Proposal?"

Petra flushed bright red. "Wha- no! We've only been dating for five months." She said, giggling awkwardly right after.

Mikasa smirked. "One more month and it'll be half a year. Isn't that enough for marriage?"

Petra gasped, picking up a throw pillow and throwing it at Mikasa. "Mikasa!" She cried in embarrassment.

Mikasa giggled as the soft throw pillow landed on her face. "I'm just saying," she hummed as she shifted when she sat, "I wouldn't mind calling you my sister-in-law."

Petra scoffed mirthfully, color rising to her face even more. With a hump, Petra stood up.

"Y-You know what, I just remember that I have to do something." Petra stuttered, failing to hide her embarrassment.

Mikasa smirked, nodding understandingly. "You mean you have to do someone." She dirtily insinuated.

"Mika!" Petra whined, turning impossibly redder before she left the room.

Mikasa smiled, leaning back on her bed and lacing her fingers behind her back.

Then, just as she was beginning to feel blissful, her phone buzz. She turned to face her bedside table, picking up the handheld to view the notification.

A text.

From... Eren.

Mikasa's heart did all sorts of aerobics in her ribcage as she swallowed hard, pressing on the message to view it.

My Hero 🥵❤️🤟🏻😻  
 _I heard about Jean. Mikasa, whatever you do, please don't go out with him._

Mikasa's furrowed at this, her thumbs immediately typing out a response.

Me  
 _Eren please just let me be happy. You already got me suspended and took my virginity. What more do you want?_

My Hero 🥵❤️🤟🏻😻  
 _No, you don't understand. What I did back at my old school was bad, but Jean was worse. We competed with each other to get girls and he always won. He's not a trustable guy._

Me  
 _Not a trustable guy? Kind of ironic coming from you isn't it?_

My Hero 🥵❤️🤟🏻😻  
 _Princess you have to believe me. He's not loyal_

Mikasa scoffed, shaking her head. She was furious, fuming, and shaking. Eren was a hypocrite, a player, someone not to be trusted.

And Mikasa was done being his little toy.

Me  
 _This is so dumb Eren._  
 _I'm done with you._  
 _Don't text me, don't call me, just stay away from me._  
 _Please._

Eren's delay in response told Mikasa that he finally knew his place.

My Hero 🥵❤️🤟🏻😻  
 _Okay._  
 _But don't say I didn't warn you._

Mikasa's brows furrowed further, as she groaned in frustration.

'No.' She shook her head. 'I'm glad I ended it. He can't come up to me and try to control me.'

She went to his contact information, going to the edit button. When she finished her task, she slammed her phone back down on her bedside table.

Now, there was no longer a 'My Hero' in Mikasa's contact list, now being two simple letters: 'Ex'.

'You know what... I don't regret saying yes to Jean anymore.' Mikasa thought.

Oh boy, how wrong she was.


	23. Unpleasant Dates

Mikasa stared at her reflection and tilted her head at her outfit.

The short, blue skirt, the white blouse tucked into it, the red bra visible through her thin top, the white converse, it all felt wrong.

This wasn't who she was.

She didn't like dressing sultry like this. But maybe Jean would like it, she kept telling herself.

With a sigh, Mikasa reached behind her head and pulled her black hair out of its ponytail. Her ebony locks fell freely past her shoulders and Mikasa shook her head and ran her fingers through her hair, running her fingers lazily through the tangles.

'So... today's Friday. Today's my date with Jean.' Mikasa thought.

She knew most girls, teenagers especially (which was what she was), would be ecstatic about going out on a date. But Mikasa couldn't feel more indifferent.

She knew she should've taken her reaction as a sign that maybe this date wasn't right for her, but she kept ignoring the obvious signs.

'It's to get over Eren.' Mikasa thought, sighing externally.

When Mikasa's phone buzzed, she turned around the viewed the message from Jean: I'm here.

Mikasa quickly typed out an 'okay', grabbing her purse and walking downstairs. She luckily avoided Levi in the kitchen, not knowing (and not wanting to know) how much of a big deal he'd make out of her provocative clothing.

She slowly opened the front door, then shut it behind her once she left the house. A dark blue car was sitting there in the middle of the street in front of her house and Jean was in the driver's seat, telling Mikasa which car to go to.

She quickly ran down the steps leading to her front door, hopping into the passenger seat.

Jean looked at Mikasa, smiling when he saw the outfit she wore.

"Hey." He greeted the girl, putting the car into drive.

Hi." Mikasa greeted back, smiling as she buckled up.

Jean drove forward, the two riding in silence that was neither comfortable or unsettling.

It was just... silent.

But soon enough, the two arrived at a restaurant. Jean exhaled once they pulled into a parking space, turning off the ignition and unbuckling his seatbelt. He exited the car and Mikasa followed right after him, following him up the steps to the restaurant.

"I like your skirt, by the way," Jean said, glad that he had managed to break the silence that stretched between them for far longer than it should've.

Mikasa took a moment to process his words, forcing a smile as she slowly nodded her head to accept the compliment.

'Show more enthusiasm, dammit!' A voice screamed at her in her head.

She had yet the oblige.

When Jean approached the person who's to seat the two, he immediately spoke up.

"I'm here to join Connie's table," Jean said. "I'm Jean." He quickly added.

The waiter nodded in understanding, leading the two to a table already seating two people.

"Right this way."

Mikasa followed Jean, shifting uncomfortably in the clothing she wore. When they reached the table, her silver eyes locked with a familiar set of light brown ones.

Mikasa immediately stiffened, her breaths shallowing as she hit her bottom lip and quickly averted eye contact, taking her seat without looking back at the brown eyes.

"Sup, Connie." Jean greeted his friend with ease.

Connie, who sat across from Jean, greeted his friend back with a smile. The girl beside Connie remained quiet, not wanting to speak up after seeing Mikasa.

Mikasa was the same.

"Uhm, Connie." The girl beside him spoke. "Can I speak with you?"

Connie nodded, saying a "sure thing," as he got up from his seat and followed the girl to a secluded place in the restaurant.

"What the hell?! When you told me we were going on a double date with Jean and his new girlfriend, I didn't think his new girl would be Mikasa!" She angrily whisper-yelled at her boyfriend.

"Relax, Sash. What's the big deal?" Connie asked.

"'What's the big deal?'! You know that she doesn't like me because I'm friends with Eren!" Sasha whispered once again.

"Ugh, what's this Eren talk? What did he even do? She was freaked out about some video with him too, so what's up?" He asked.

Sasha sighed, shaking her head. "I don't know the full story, to be honest. Eren didn't tell us the whole thing. All I know is that some video with them got uploaded to the school website which got them suspended and Mikasa broke up with him. She thought that he posted the video... but he didn't." Sasha admitted.

Connie cocked a brow, tilting his head at her. "Holy shit." He breathed. "That's fucked. Posting a video without their consent? That's illegal, ain't it?" He stated.

Sasha nodded with a sigh. "It is. I'm surprised Mikasa hasn't sued, but I'm also glad. Because if she did, she would end up suing Eren instead of the real perpetrator." Sasha admitted.

Connie nodded, agreeing. "Damn..." he breathed. "That's a lot. But... we're here anyway. On this double date, I mean. So..." He gestured behind him, where the tables were where everyone sat.

Sasha nodded, "right. We should get back."

With that, the two weaved their way through the restaurant back to their table where Mikasa and Jean sat.

All of their drinks had already arrived, two glasses of water sitting on the table alongside two dark sodas. Mikasa reached over and grabbed a water, and as Sasha sat down, she grabbed her own water. The boys grabbed their own drinks as well.

A male dressed in clad in formal clothing approached their table with a notepad in hand, wearing a smile.

"Are you four ready to order?" Asked he.

The four answered with a 'yes', all placing their orders. The waiter wrote everything down, then assured them that they wouldn't wait long for their meals before leaving.

The tension that settled between the four after that couldn't have been heavier.

Mikasa stared at the table cloth (there was just something so interesting about its white color) and Sasha's eyes wandered around the restaurant as if she were prying her surroundings for a conversation starter.

Connie and Jean exchanged looks, both fully aware of how awkward the two females were being with one another. With a clearing of his throat, Connie gathered everyone's attention.

"So, Jean, where'd you find her?"

Jean glanced at Mikasa before back to his friend, shrugging as he leaned back. "At my old part-time job. The one I quit."

Connie hummed in response.

"Did you work there too?" Sasha asked Mikasa, looking at her.

Mikasa shook her head, still tense as she sat in her seat. "N-No. He was... serving me." She muttered.

Sasha nodded, turning not to act weird about Mikasa's bashfulness around her.

"It's a funny story, actually." Jean began. "I accidentally spilled some soda all over her when I was taking it to a customer, so I gave her of my sweater so she wouldn't wear her sticky clothes all day. Then we exchanged numbers and we started talking from there."

Connie chuckled, hoping that his chuckle would dissolve the tension that still remained.

It didn't.

"And now you're here today. I've gotta give you props for finally snagging a girlfriend." He joked lightheartedly.

Mikasa stiffened.

'No, wait! Don't stay silent! Clarify and tell him that you're not his girlfriend!' Her mind screamed at her.

She didn't oblige.

"I didn't even think I'd be able to manage myself," Jean said with a smug grin, looking back to Mikasa.

Mikasa watched as something changed about Jean. Maybe it was the intensity in his eyes that reminded her of Eren because it fanned itself into something more... acute.

Ravenousness, it may be. Hunger. Thirst. Every emotion she saw linger in Eren's eyes whilst they were having sex seemed to make habitation in Jean's eyes.

Although this time it was more... bone-chilling.

When she saw it in Eren's eyes, she found it sexy. Alluring. But here, she felt like Jena was a lion and she was a deer.

She felt like his prey.

Mikasa quickly looked away, instead looking down at her clothes.

She bit her bottom lip, trying to suppress the urge to say that she wanted to leave. She felt uncomfortable, unfamiliar, scared.

And Jean was doing nothing but fanning the feelings that made her want to cry.

"Mikasa?"

Mikasa looked up at Sasha when she heard her name be whispered from her lips.

'Meet me in the bathroom?' Sasha mouthed.

If Mikasa obliged to Sasha's request, she made no indication of it. Instead, she averted her eyes and stared at the ground as she heard the conversation the two boys become interrupted by Sasha's "I need to use the restroom."

An "Alright" was heard before the sound of Sasha's heels clicking away filled Mikasa's ears. With a sigh, Mikasa stood up.

"I'll... go with her."

With that, Mikasa walked away and met Sasha in the restroom across the restaurant.

It was only two of them occupying the space, which was surprising. Sasha stood there, eyes studying Mikasa's dismissive behavior.

"Hey." Sasha's gentle voice was heard.

Mikasa looked up, her eyes glossed over with tears meeting Sasha's concerned eyes.

"You're not happy, are you?" Sasha asked.

Every logical part of her mind screamed at Mikasa and told her that she shouldn't be communicating with Sasha. Sasha was associated with Eren, and the thought of Eren sent a whirlwind of unpleasant emotions spiraling around in Mikasa's skull, so it was no surprise that Sasha made Mikasa a bit wary.

But still, there was the smallest voice in the back of her mind that told her to tell the truth.

To be honest about Jean.

To be honest about... Eren.

And, as if all of her past mistakes were null and void to her, Mikasa listened to the tiny voice, instantly voicing out a response.

"N-No. I'm... not." Mikasa breathed.

There. She said it. And although the words came out strained, it sure did take a load off her shoulders.

"What's bothering you? Is it... Eren?" Sasha asked.

Mikasa's body involuntarily tensed at his name, although she made no sign that expressed her saying that it was Eren.

"Is it Jean?"

There it is.

The three words that made the girl tense and even whimper.

'Yes, it's Jean! He doesn't make me happy! I don't want to date him! I want to date Eren!' A voice screamed in Mikasa's head, blocking out all the other ones.

However, she didn't voice her thoughts. She only sighed, although her shoulders remained tense as she looked to Sasha.

"Is it that obvious?"

Sasha gave the girl a weak smile, glad that the raven-haired girl was at least opening up to her a little bit.

"But what about him is this issue? Do you not like him?" Sasha asked.

Mikasa shrugged, forcing her shoulders to gradually quell. "I like him... but not the way he likes me," Mikasa admitted with a sigh. "I don't want to start a relationship with him."

"Then why say yes when he asked you out?" Sasha asked.

Mikasa shrugged once again. "Because..." she let the word dangle in the air, her voice slowly trailing off before she finished the statement, "I need someone to take my mind off Eren."

Sasha cocked a brow at this, studying Mikasa intently. "Take your mind off Eren? But I thought you hated him. Is your hate for him so large that it occupies your mind every day?"

Mikasa's lack of response was what followed. Not even a sigh, or shrug, or shake of the head. Just silence as she averted her gaze from Sasha to the tiled floor.

Sasha's eyes trailed over the girl's expression, trying to pry an answer out of her facial expression. The way her brows furrowed slightly, her lips drew themselves out into a small frown, and her cheeks tinged red at the mention of the male brunet.

Wait...

That's when it clicked in Sasha's head, making her hazelnut eyes go wide with realization.

"You still love him."

Mikasa's eyes widened as she looked up at Sasha, color rising up to her face.

"What?" Mikasa asked, eyes widening almost comically.

"Eren." Sasha elaborated. "You're still in love with Eren."


	24. Rebound

As Mikasa plopped the last forkful of her food into her mouth, she sighed as she let the deliciousness swirl around on her tongue before sliding down her throat. She looked down at the plate in front of her, the white platter being wiped clean of the food it had on it not even a full 15 minutes ago. She reached over on the table, grabbing the halfway filled tall glass beside the plate. Then she slowly began to drink it.

'When is this date going to end?' Mikasa inwardly groaned.

Jean and Connie were still going at it, talking their asses off, and if Mikasa didn't know any better she would've assumed that they were the ones on a date.

A bit of food remained on Jean's plate, as well as Connie's, and Mikasa knew that if she didn't intervene they would be here for another half hour. She looked to Sasha as if asking her for assistance to get home quicker, but Sasha only shrugged.

"When they start talking, they start talking," Sasha whispered to the girl before finishing the last of her own water.

Mikasa sighed, looking at Jean again with impatience. Sasha's words from earlier in the bathroom crossed her mind, making unease well up within her.

'You're still in love with Eren.' Sasha's voice echoed in Mikasa's head as if she had screamed it directly into her ear only a few seconds ago, rather than having whispered it an hour or so ago.

Mikasa hadn't denied or agreed with Sasha's words, but the way she squirmed where she stood at the words and the way her face turned extremely red seemed to answer Sasha nonetheless.

Sasha told Mikasa to go back to Eren, but Mikasa refused. Sasha asked why since she was still so obviously head over heels for him, but Mikasa didn't give an exact response. She only shook her head and shrugged.

Then, Sasha gave Mikasa the advice that had been bouncing around in her head the entirety of their time back at the table: 'Well, you obviously don't like Jean, so don't lead him on. Just reject him.'

Three. Simple. Words.

That's all it took. Why couldn't she have thought of it sooner?

Mikasa hadn't dwelled on the latter thought.

She only dwelled on what Sasha had told her, which was to reject Jean, and she came to the conclusion that that was what she was going to do.

After their date, after they split up with Connie and Sasha, she was going to reject him. She was going to let him down slowly. She was going to tell him the truth.

That her heart belonged to another man.

Their waiter passed by their table and Sasha called for him, making their server swivel around and walk to their table.

"Can I help you four?" He asked.

"Yes, uhm, can we get the bill?"

"Sure thing. Give me one moment." The waiter replied. And with that, he marched his way back to the kitchen.

"The bill?" Connie questioned.

"Yeah, because I still have homework to finish tonight and only God knows how long it would take you two to finish talking," Sasha said.

Jean chuckled, finished the last bit of food on his plate. "She's got us there."

Connie shrugged, not putting up a fight as he finished his own food and washed it down with some soda.

"We'll pay for the meal. You two go on ahead." Connie proclaimed to Jean and Mikasa.

Jean smirked, nodding at his friend. "Thanks, pal. C'mon, Mikasa."

Mikasa said her thanks to Sasha and Connie, quickly standing up and following Jean to the door. She fiddled with her thumbs as they walked as she couldn't help but feel nervous. Her heart raced in her chest, and the minute they exited the restaurant she was sure she would suffer from heartburn.

She didn't (thankfully).

They walked across the nearly barren parking lot, the closer they got to Jean's car, the faster Mikasa's stomach churned.

'I need to tell him. I need to tell him. I need to tell him!'

With a sigh, Mikasa stopped right in her tracks. Jean turned around upon hearing the sound her walking cease to see her standing there, nervously fiddling with her thumbs.

"What's the matter?" Jean asked.

Mikasa bit her lip, exhaling slowly. "I can't do this," Mikasa said bluntly. "Us." She elaborated.

Jean cocked a brow. "What do you mean?"

"I... I'm sure you'd be a great boyfriend, don't get me wrong! A-And we can still stay friends, there's nothing stopping us from being f-friends! I just... I can't be in a relationship right now." Mikasa frantically rambled. "I'm not ready... yet."

Jean rose a brow, the silence stretching between them making unease well up within Mikasa. When she heard him sigh almost irritatedly, Mikasa looked up at him in surprise to see his brows furrowed.

"It's Eren, isn't it?" Jean proclaimed.

Mikasa's eyes widened. "What?"

"Eren. It's fucking Eren! You're in love with the damn bastard!" Jean exclaimed angrily.

Mikasa looked away, neither agreeing or disagreeing with him.

Jean groaned in frustration, marching up to Mikasa.

"What do you even see in him? He broke your heart, didn't he?!" Jean asked angrily, each step he took making Mikasa take one step back.

"Y-Yeah." Mikasa only answered the last question.

"Why even lead me on then?!" Jean continued to ask questions. "Did you need some rebound or something?!"

Mikasa continued to step back, her throat drying like the Sahara Desert.

"Is that it?! You need some rebound guy to get over him?!" Jean asked.

Tears welled up in Mikasa's eyes. "I-I'm s-sorry, I didn't mean t-to... to hurt you, or anything." Mikasa apologized, the words coming out strained.

Jean's brows furrowed further. "So that's it. You needed a rebound." Jean proclaimed, his tone quieter but even firmer and scarier.

Mikasa shook her head. "N-No. those weren't my intentions, I swear." Mikasa's voice wavered.

She yelped out in surprise when her back hit a solid brick wall. She looked around, now realizing that Jean had backed her into a corner in an alleyway.

Jean raised his arm and slammed it against the wall beside Mikasa, trapping her there. Mikasa whimpered, her body trembling under Jean's gaze as he continued to stare at her, now scowling.

Her heart was racing a mile a minute, a tear rolling down her cheek.

"I-I'm so-"

"No." Jean swiftly cut her off. "You don't get to apologize."

Mikasa watched warily as Jean slowly leaned into her, her head pressed up against the wall behind her as she tried to avoid his lips.

"If it's a rebound you want, it's a rebound you'll get."

With that, Jean swiftly lowered his head and his lips met with Mikasa's.

Mikasa tensed within their kiss, her lips cold and slack against Jean's lively ones. He shoved his tongue into her mouth, despite her not having given permission for him to do so, and he raised his free hand to hold Mikasa's face in place so she couldn't escape.

Mikasa came to, her shock morphing away into fear as she squirmed under Jean's firm grasp. Mikasa's cries of distress were damped by Jean's probing tongue, and more she seemed to try to get out of the kiss, the stronger Jean seemed to become.

"J-Jean... wait." Mikasa's managed to get out through his unwanted kisses.

He completely ignored her, his tongue exploring every nook and cranny within Mikasa's mouth. His saliva mixed with her and he hummed in delight in spite of Mikasa's turmoil.

"C'mon, babe," Jean said, the latter word rolling off his tongue so easily that it made Mikasa sick. "If you cooperate, this won't be so painful."

Mikasa froze at those words, feelings Jean's hand slide down her slim waist and to her inner thigh. Mikasa stiffened at the contact, hot tears rolling down her flushed cheeks and onto her lips.

Her lips were salty now, but Jean didn't care. His hand by her inner thigh slowly crept its way up to her waist again and onto her stomach, sliding up her shirt and pulling her bra up to cup her breast under her shirt.

Mikasa squirmed uncomfortably as Jean pinched her nipple, her body writhing helplessly under his as he shifted his hand from her boob downward to her inner thigh once more.

This time, he trailed his hand up her skirt, his finger pressing slightly on her clothed womanhood.

Mikasa froze and her head spun.

"S-Stop it!" She managed to get out before Jean silenced her with his lips again.

Mikasa sobbed as she felt Jean invade her body, violating her.

She felt helpless, utterly helpless.

Then, within the next not even five seconds, Jean began to lower Mikasa's skirt to her ankles.

Mikasa struggled to keep her lower half of clothing up where it belonged, but Jean won the fight, eventually unzipping her skirt in which it fell to meet the ground.

"See. When you don't struggle, nobody has to get hurt." Jean whispered. "But if you dare try to scream once more time, I won't hesitate to take my pants off." He warned in a menacing tone.

That was all that was needed to silence Mikasa, the girl instantly going silent as she felt Jean stick his hand under her panties.

Mikasa whimpered, feeling his cold fingertips brush up against her sensitive area. Her legs quaked, the only thing keeping her from crumbling to her knees being the wall behind her and Jean's iron grip on her.

"I-"

"Shh..." Jean hushed her, lowering his mouth to her neck. "Like I said, don't say a word."

He sucked and nibbled and bit at the skin between her jawline and the dip of her clavicle. Mikasa whimpered, already imaging the plethora of hickeys staining her neck.

Jean's hand slipped to more dangerous territory, inching dangerously close to her clit. When Mikasa realized where his hand was, it was too late, for he had already brought a finger to meet her clit.

Jean felt no hesitation when he was in the realm of foreplay, and, ironically enough, Mikasa was sure that her body would naturally enjoy the methods he was using had he not have been someone she hadn't fallen for.

Now if it were Eren on the other hand...

Mikasa's thoughts came to a screeching halt as she felt Jean roughly shove his forefinger into her heat. She instantly stiffened, legs becoming weak as her cheeks became hot.

A multitude of tears rolled hotly down her flushed cheeks, Mikasa biting the inside of her cheeks to stop herself from crying out in distress. Every natural instinct kept telling her that this was wrong, and she knew it was wrong, but Jean's warnings still shook her core.

"Don't make a fucking sound," Jean warned in her ear, adding another digit to her.

"P-Please..." she silently begged, "d-don't... don't do this."

"Oh? But why should I stop?" Jean asked, his tone annoyingly innocent. "I mean, you need a rebound after all. And it just so happens that I need you."

Mikasa squirmed under him once more as Jean added a third finger, curling them inside of her.

It felt odd. Not painful, yet not pleasurable. She just wanted to be out of this situation now.

"I-I never said you were a r-rebound. A-And I'm sorry for leading you on. Just... just please don't do this to me. Please." Mikasa pleaded. "I'm begging you." She breathed.

Her pleas went by unnoticed by Jean, his response only being to smash his lips into Mikasa's again.

Suddenly, Jean pulled back with a hiss. Mikasa looked up at him, both relieved and shocked that he had stopped as her eyes went wide.

Jean looked down to his calf and Mikasa followed his gaze, seeing a black cat scratching at his leg. The finest bit of hope formed within Mikasa, her eyes glinting as she hoped—prayed—for this cat to be enough of a distraction for her to get away.

However, the hope within her quickly vanished when Jean swung his leg back, kicking the cat which resulted in it fleeing in fear.

"Damn cat." He muttered before his gaze landed back in Mikasa. "Now. Where were we?"

The hope she had disappeared then from his words only.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hehehe 😈 I bet you're annoyed with me milking what's about to happen. But hey, at least another smut scene will be coming up soon once this ends (it's consensual so don't worry).


	25. Please Be Okay

It was pretty unusual for Eren and Armin to be hanging out. Sure, the two were friends, but ever since Eren moved across town for his father's job the two found their hangouts becoming more and more scarce. But when the Eren discovered that Mikasa was moving on and dating someone else, he knew that staying home would only drive him insane. This resulted in him hitting up his best friend, Armin, and now the two were hanging out.

They walked down the sidewalk, their destination still a number of minutes ahead of them as it was Historia's house. They were coming back from the arcade and both them and Historia agreed on them coming over for a couple of hours right after.

During their walk to Historia's house, Armin kept a keen eye on Eren. The brunet was unusually quiet, his eyebrows furrowing every now and then due to him being deep in thought. Armin took note of this, although he debated on whether or not he should break their silence.

It wasn't awkward (the two were best friends, nothing was awkward between them) and it wasn't as if Armin felt the need to break it per se. He just didn't want the silence to stretch between them longer than it should because all silence does is lead to deep thinking.

And Armin knew that if Eren kept thinking (about Mikasa, most likely) he would break his own heart in half.

With a sigh, Armin gave in, parting his lips to bring up a conversation that wasn't controversial and wouldn't lead to a broken heart.

"How's-"

"Shh." Eren shushed his friend. He stopped dead in his tracks and his head swiveled around as if he were looking for something. "Do you hear that?"

Armin cocked a brow at his friend. "Hear what?"

Eren shook his head. "Just... just follow me."

Armin sighed but didn't retaliate. He followed Eren as he walked across the street, noticing that he was headed dangerously close to where Connie said that he and Jean would be having a double date with Sasha and Mikasa. Armin tried to tell Eren to turn back, not knowing and not wanting to know how Eren would react upon seeing Mikasa and Jean together.

But Eren ignored his friend's warning, instead, being particularly interested in the noise he was hearing. It was as if a girl were sobbing and moaning at the same ti-

Eren's thoughts cut short when he looked past a corner to see exactly that.

There were two people, male and female, and the guy had a girl pinned up against a wall. The girl's skirt was at her ankles and her shirt was pulled up, exposing her red bra and the pale mounds tucked into the aforementioned undergarment. The guy's hand was buried in the girl's panties, his other hand wandering all over the girl's body. His mouth sucked and bit at the girl's neck and collarbone, leaving purple and red marks in his wake.

The girl sobbed uncontrollably as the male continued, pure fear evident in her eyes and in the way her body trembled. Hot tears rolled down her flushed cheeks, dripping down her neck and onto hickeys, her black hair fell past her shoulders in a disheveled manner, and her lips quivered as she tried to suppress her urge to scream.

Eren instantly recognized the girl, and his heart sank upon recognition.

"Mikasa?" He breathed.

Armin met up with Eren, following his gaze to see Mikasa as well.

"Holy shit." Armin cursed under his breath. "Eren, we should go," Armin said, not even being able to imagine how heartbroken Eren must be from the sight.

Eren shook his head.

"N-No." He breathed. "No, sh-she can't be enjoying this." Eren denied his thoughts.

Armin's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "What, you mean like rape?"

Eren sighed. "I don't know. Just... can we wait?" Eren desperately asked. "Please?" He added.

If it weren't for the desperation in his tone, Armin may have protested, insisting that it'd be best to go to Historia's house and cool off. However, when Armin saw the pleading look in Eren's eyes, he refrained.

"Fine." Armin exhaled.

Eren breathed out in relief, looking past the corner once more to see Mikasa barely support herself against the wall behind her.

She looked fearful, petrified, exhausted.

Eren cocked a brow at that.

If she didn't want it, why won't she just scream?

'Because she does want it, you idiot. She doesn't love you anymore!' A voice screamed in Eren's mind.

No, it can't be true. He still loved her, so she must still love him too, right?

Right?

The odds were against Eren and as he continued to witness Jean openly finger Mikasa in the secluded alleyway, he stopped trying to regret the thought that he had been oh-so desperately trying to deny.

Mikasa doesn't love him anymore.

Just at that moment, Mikasa's eyelids feebly lifted up. She caught Eren in her line of sight and the sight of him made her want to scream and jump into his arms.

But she refrained and instead did something else.

"H-Help me." She whispered.

That was all that was needed to get Eren jumping into action. In spite of his better judgment, he walked forward at a pace that could be confused as a jog, his mind going blank. He couldn't even hear Armin's inquiries ("Wait, where are you going?"), it was just him and Mikasa.

Finally, when Eren was directly behind the two, he shoved the guy off of Mikasa. The latter immediately fell to the floor once she was freed, looking on as Eren scowled at the male who had been molesting her.

The male staggered backwards but caught his balance, looking up to see Eren standing upon him with a fiery glint in his emerald irises.

"If the lady doesn't want to be touched, don't touch her." Eren spat out like venom.

The male smirked, crossing his arms and looking at Eren with a cocked brow. "What's with the hostility, Eren? We're buds, aren't we?"

Eren scoffed at the proclamation. "Jean, I ended our friendship the moment you belittled Mina's sui-" Eren caught his tongue before he finished the word, using euphemism instead as he replaced his previous sentence with a, "you know what I mean."

Jean smirked. "Mina was an idiot. She was when she was alive, and even now as a dead person."

Eren's eyes narrowed. "Don't say that."

Jean's smirk widened, his expression clearly challenging Eren. The two entered a staring contest, Jean not even flinching under Eren's intense gaze before he eventually backed down with a sigh.

"Well, it's been fun catching up with you and all, but I should really get back to my girlfriend," Jean said, stepping forward to Mikasa.

Eren immediately stepped in front of her to stop the guy from pursuing her. "Watch it."

Jean looked at Eren with a now blank expression. "Eren, let me get back to my girlfriend." He said.

"Jean, from what I saw, she wasn't exactly enjoying what you were doing to her. So step back."

"Or you'll what?"

"Do you really want to know?"

"Oh please," Jean began, stepping forward and closing the distance between Eren's shirt and his fist, balling up a fistful of the fabric to Eren's white shirt and slamming the male into the brick wall behind him. "You can't do anything."

"Guys stop!" Mikasa's interjected, noticing that the two were obviously treading dangerous territory. She could tell by the look in Eren's eyes that they were one word away from tackling each other and fighting.

However, her plea went by unnoticed by the two males still staring dangerously at each other.

"So what if she wasn't enjoying it? That's never stopped you from pursuing a woman before." Jean said.

Eren's brows furrowed. "You know I stopped being a player. It only hurts people."

Jean smirked. "Oh really now? Mikasa told me that you fucked her and posted the video online. You never stopped. Once a player," Jean's eyes narrowed, "always a player."

That sent Eren off the edge, every last bit of patience he had for Jean and strength he was withholding shriveling up like a burning piece of paper and disappearing altogether.

There was no cry, no warning, no nothing.

It was only that one second, Eren's hands were balled up into fists at his side and the next, he was closing the distance between his right fist and Jean's jaw.

The latter staggered backwards after the attack, stifling a groan as he looked at Eren.

"Oh, you've done it now!" Jean said, immediately shoving Eren back to the wall. Eren groaned, but it didn't take him long to recover. He then shoved Jean backwards, more force in his shove than Jean's.

Eren could see red.

He was furious, absolutely furious.

Jean caught himself before he could falter further, now lunging at Eren.

"Wait, stop!" Mikasa cried, catching Jean in the act and clinging onto his foot. Jean disregarded her, kicking his foot back and making the girl fall on her back with a whimper.

That's it.

Eren had lost it.

"You asshole!" He cried, raising his fist one more and punching Jean in the stomach. "How dare you fucking hurt her!" Eren cried angrily, raising his knee before Jean could recover and kneeing him in the ribs.

He was out for blood.

Jean's blood.

Jean let out a strained cough at this, leaning against the wall behind him for support as he inhaled and exhaled strained breaths.

"You call her your girlfriend?! You just hurt her, you fucking maniac!" Eren yelled.

"If I can recall, you hurt her too! You broke her fucking heart!" Jean screamed back in protest.

Eren walked up to Jean, his hands flying forward and grabbing Jean's jacket. He pinned Jean against the wall, his gaze blinded with red.

"I DIDN'T POST THE FUCKING VIDEO!!" He screamed, tears poking his eyes.

Jean shoved Eren off of him, finally able to land a hit on Eren's face. Eren hadn't any time to recover before Jean had tackled him to the ground, the two now wrestling on the floor.

"Guys stop!" Mikasa screamed, attempting to stop them once again. "Please!"

It was at this time that a fourth party had finally appeared, it being a male with blond hair and blue eyes.

Mikasa immediately recognized him.

Armin.

"Dude, get off him!" Armin yelled, attempting to pry the two away from each other. Jean shoved Armin back before he could make any progress in breaking up the fight.

Armin looked to Mikasa, his eyes wide, and Mikasa looked at him with the same expression.

'What do I do?!' Both of their expressions seemed to ask.

"G-Get Connie. And S-Sasha. They should be inside the restaurant." Mikasa stuttered out.

Armin nodded, immediately obliging as he dashed off to the restaurant.

Mikasa took this time to finally gather her bearings, pulling herself up to her feet and her skirt up with her, zipping up the lower half of apparel on her body. She then pulled her shirt back down to cover her bra, it falling loosely to her stomach.

It didn't take long for Armin to return, sprinting back to the fight with two figures following behind him.

Connie and Sasha.

"Whoa, what the hell?!" Connie exclaimed. He immediately got on Jean, pulling him away from a bloody Eren. "Relax dude!"

Armin held Eren with the help of Sasha, getting a glimpse of how badly his friend's injuries were. It wasn't as if Jean was bruised as well, it just seemed as though Jean had managed to injure Eren significantly more.

"Mikasa, call 911!" Armin called to the girl. "Eren's passed out."

It was then when Mikasa noticed that Eren's once piercing emerald irises were covered by his eyelids. She turned pale, losing her breath for a moment before she immediately sprung into action. She grabbed her phone from her purse on the floor.

Her hands shook as she dialed 911, heart racing as she continued to view Eren's beaten up and unconscious body. When a person's voice came in through her phone speaker, Mikasa couldn't reply to their "911, what's your emergency?", question.

She was panicking, she was breathing fast, labored. She couldn't see anyone, her vision kept fading in and out of blurriness. She couldn't heart Sasha and Connie yelling at her with their, "tell them he's not breathing!", demands. There was a faint ringing in her ears now, but when Armin yelled at Mikasa to tell them that Eren's pulse was slowing, the ringing noise became progressively louder and unbearable.

She hadn't even noticed that Sasha had gotten up until she was right next to her, grabbing the phone from Mikasa's clammy palms and answering the dispatcher's questions ("Ma'am are you alright?" "Ma'am where are you?" Ma'am?") without hesitation.

Mikasa fell on her knees to the floor, breaths staggered as she looked at Eren's motionless body.

"I-Is..." she couldn't breathe, couldn't see, "he okay?"

Armin looked at her. "I... think so. His pulse is slowing down but it's not stopping completely so... he should be alright."

The words didn't calm Mikasa down as much as she thought it would, the ringing in her ears still loud and deafening. Her head was throbbing, her vision was blurring, her mind was spinning.

She felt like she was going insane.

'All this because of Eren?' Her mind managed to think in her gaze.

She shook her head. 'Of course, it's because of him! I love him, always have and always will!' She practically screamed in her mind. 'I love him! I love him I love him I love him! And I don't want him to die!'

Mikasa practically tensed and shivered at the thought.

"Please be okay..." she whispered under her breath.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lol im too cruel 😈


	26. The Mental Levee

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick warning; this chapter includes mentions of suicide so uh... just prepare yourself. Emotionally.

Mikasa's eyelids fluttered open as she exhaled an exasperated sigh.

There was no way she could sleep like this. Not while she didn't know how Eren was doing.

After the ambulance had arrived, Mikasa insisted on going with Eren to the hospital but Sasha protested. She said that Mikasa couldn't go to the hospital with Eren since she was still shaken up with what Jean had done to her. And as much as Mikasa hated to admit it, Sasha was right.

Hell, even now, Mikasa's thoughts were plagued by when Jean had her pinned up helplessly against that wall, making her shiver and tense up.

So Mikasa let Eren go to the hospital with only Armin as Connie took Sasha and Mikasa home. On the way home, Sasha's obvious worry for Mikasa was evident in the way she kept glancing back at her in the passenger seat.

Then, when they were halfway to her house, Mikasa's phone chimed. She viewed the notification which resulted in her mood souring, and when Sasha asked her what the matter was she discovered that Mikasa's brother had texted her that he wouldn't be home until the next day in the afternoon. And since Petra had yet to live with them, Mikasa would be alone for the night.

The last thing she wanted was to be alone...

Sasha knew this, and before she knew it she was offering to spend the night at Mikasa's place. The girl agreed and when they got home Mikasa gave Sasha some more comfortable clothes. The two talked the night away, about both random subjects and a bit more sensitive topics.

And it was then when Mikasa realized that she knew nothing about Sasha since the only time the two had spoken with each other, Mikasa was drunk.

But Sasha eventually passed out on the living room couch, leaving Mikasa alone to try and sleep in spite of the horrid thoughts invading her mind. She had been tossing and turning around on the living room couch across from Sasha for nearly an hour, shifting restlessly as if the movement would calm her.

With a sigh, Mikasa laid down on her back and stared up at the dark ceiling, only barely being able to spot the ceiling fan in the dark.

Every time she closed her eyes, she would only see Jean again.

She could almost cry because she was just so tired but so restless at the same time.

She felt like she was going insane.

She shook her head.

She was going insane.

With a sigh, Mikasa threw her blanket off her body and swung her legs over the edge of the couch. She stood up, head throbbing as she sluggishly made her way to the bathroom.

When she entered the bathroom, she looked at her reflection only to see how blurry her vision was.

She blinked, then opened her eyelids.

Nope. Still blurry.

She shook her head, rubbing her eyes when she felt her forefingers come out moist.

'Ah, so that's why my vision is blurry.' She thought once she felt the wetness in her eyes, looking at her reflection once more. 'Because I'm crying.'

She didn't even know she was crying. She just felt so numb.

She sighed for the umpteenth time, opening the mirror cabinet and reaching for night pills to help her fall asleep.

She read the instructions since she hadn't used them before because they were technically Levi's, and ingested the information.

"Take two pills." She muttered to herself, already turning around and walking to the kitchen. She poured herself a pour of water, then reached for the pill bottle again and tilted it slightly so that a number of pills fell onto the palm of her hand. Just as she was about to separate two from the pile, her mind froze.

"Would it really be so bad to just take all of these?" She mumbled.

Yes, in fact, it would be bad. And she knew that. She knew what would happen. It wasn't rocket science. It had been portrayed in movies and tv shows and even books before. She's even intentionally searched what would happen if she took too many pills once when she began her route down the road of self-harm.

She would overdose and possibly kill herself.

"Would it really be so bad?" She muttered, actually debating on whether or not she should.

Her tone was eerily calm despite how racing heart, her thoughts racing a mile a minute.

'Am I doing it? It wouldn't be terrible, though. My life is currently hell. Annie's teasing has been relentless, Eren broke my heart, Jean basically raped me, and I'm sure Levi would benefit would me gone. One less person to take care of, and he could finally move in with Petra. They could be happy together.' Her eyes began to water and this time (unlike the last), she noticed.

'Everyone would be much happier if I died.'

She was going to do it. She wasn't benefiting anyone by being alive, was she? All she had to do was raise her hand to meet and lips and swallow every single pill in her hand. All. Eight.

And she was doing exactly that, albeit a bit slowly. She leisurely closed the distance between her mouth and clammy palm holding the very thing that could take her last breath from this earth. Slowly, she rose her hand.

Slowly...

Slowly...

Slowly...

Slowly...

Slo-

"Mikasa, what are you doing?"

Mikasa's head shot up to face the voice to see Sasha standing before her. Her eyes narrowed in confusion as she eyed the pills in Mikasa's hand, but judging by the way her eyes widened in shock, it didn't take her long to connect the dots.

"Whoa... hey. Careful now, those are a lot of pills." Sasha said as if Mikasa hadn't known that already. "What are you planning to do with those?"

Mikasa's mind fell into a frenzy as she struggled to form a coherent sentence. Her breathing was staggered, acting as if she were caught in the middle of doing something regretful.

(Wait a minute. Oh yeah, she was caught in the middle of doing something regretful. Funny.)

"U-Uh..." She exhaled. "J-Just taking some night pills to help me sleep." She stuttered.

Sasha cocked a brow, her questioning expression only slightly decipherable in the dark. She turned around and flicked the light switch, the bright light the filled the room making Mikasa squint her eyes.

When she adjusted to the brightness, Mikasa opened her eyes fully to see Sasha standing before her with wide eyes.

"You're... crying." Sasha stared. "Are you okay?" She asked, slowly approaching Mikasa.

The latter nodded, her gaze drifting down to the handful of pills she nearly ingested.

Sometimes, Mikasa was good at hiding her emotions. She liked to believe that she wasn't that bad at wearing a mask to hide her true feelings of distress. She liked to believe that the smiles and laughs she forced around her brother were believable. She liked to believe that she was fooling everyone.

She viewed her mind like a levee, where all her issues were the water and her forced _'I'm fine'_ s and forced smiles was the embankment around it. Usually, nobody knew about how much she was truly suffering inside, for she refrained to talk about her issues around her brother as she opted to instead let her problems add to the water in her mental levee.

But sometimes, she couldn't keep faking it. Sometimes she felt as if her embankment was on the brink of collapsing or as if the water was nearly overflowing and she felt so close to breaking down on the floor.

This was one of those times.

"I-I'm fine... just tired," Mikasa said.

'Lies.' Her mind whispered.

"Are you sure?" Sasha asked.

Mikasa took a moment to reply, trying to not continue crying.

"Y-Yeah. I'm fine." Mikasa's words came out as a prolonged exhale.

There was a moment of silence before Sasha's voice was heard again.

"You know, it's okay to not be okay."

She cracked.

The water overflowed.

The embankment collapsed.

She was a mess.

Mikasa dropped her hands to her sides, the multitude of pills clattering to the floor as her cup of water fell as well, the liquid spilling onto her socks. She looked at Sasha incredulously, as if what she had just said was all Mikasa needed to hear to break.

"I-" Mikasa shook her head. "I'm not- I can't..." her words came out in shambles. "I don't wanna live anymore." She shook her head.

Sasha rushed over to Mikasa. "Oh, sweetie."

"Everyone would benefit if I die! W-Wouldn't they?" Mikasa cried, looking at Sasha as if she really needed an answer. "I'm only a burden! Nobody loves me! I had an awesome friendship with A-Annie, only to ruin it and now everyone at my school h-hates me! I fell for Eren b-but I couldn't go through with the sex and now he hates me!" Mikasa cried, tears rolling down her flushed face. "My brother would be much better if he didn't have to support me either!" Mikasa shook her head.

She crumpled to her knees in defeat, her pants getting wet at her shins since she landed in the puddle of water. "Is it bad that I still love him?! Even after what he d-did... after the video... I still fucking love him! But I don't know wh-what to do!" Mikasa cried. She sobbed as she spoke, and it became hard to breathe through her nose which resulted in her breathing heavily through her mouth.

Sasha met Mikasa on the ground, wrapping the girl up into a tight embrace. Mikasa's tears soaked the shirt she wore, but Sasha could care less about her shirt right now.

"Don't think that. And it's not bad that you still love Eren." Sasha cooed.

"I-It isn't?" Mikasa asked.

"No." Sasha didn't hesitate to respond. "Just... talk to him. Let him know everything." Sasha said.

Mikasa didn't know how to respond to Sasha's words, so she didn't. She just continued to cry, continued to let it all out.

 _'Pathetic.'_ A voice whispered in Mikasa's head. _'Useless. You're a burden.'_

And although Mikasa would usually agree with the voice, although she would usually agree with the derogatory adjectives pinned onto her, this time she couldn't. Because it just felt so good to let everything all out. It just felt so good to cry to her heart's content. It just felt so, so damn good.

And is it really so wrong for her to want to feel good?

* * *

When the new day inevitably came, Mikasa's eyes fluttered open only to immediately become blinded by the rays of sun that entered the living room through the many thick streaks of sunlight peeking through the blinds. She shifted to lay on her side, shielding her eyes from the bright light with a frown.

Suddenly, the smell of food filled her senses, making her perk up and look over to the kitchen to see Sasha standing by the stove, pouring a yellow mess onto two plates. Mikasa rubbed the sleep from her eyed to get a better view to see that the yellow mess was scrambled eggs, and that's not what was all on the plate, for there were also two slices of buttered toast as well.

Sasha, upon finishing her task of pouring the eggs onto the plates, scooped both plates up and walked over to where Mikasa laid down on the couch. She placed both plates down on the coffee table, then sat herself down on the couch across from Mikasa.

"Nice to see that you're awake, even if it is noon," Sasha said.

Mikasa's eyebrows rose in surprise.

'Noon?'

Her eyes trailed to the wall clock to see that it was, in fact, 12:38pm.

"Didn't know that I slept that long," Mikasa muttered.

"No worries. I could tell you needed the rest." Sasha said. "Well, I made us both breakfast, but it took me forever to find where you store your food so... brunch, I guess?"

Mikasa smiled, sitting upright. "Thank you." She hummed.

"Anytime," Sasha said, leaning over to grab a plate once Mikasa grabbed hers. The two began to eat in comfortable silence, Mikasa glad that she was eating a complete breakfast for once and not just a banana and also glad that she now had a friend.

She stiffened at the word.

A friend?

'No. It's too good to be true.' A voice denied in her mind. 'Remember Annie. And Jean. And Eren.'

Mikasa couldn't help but remain apprehensive, her trust issues forming all over again, this time stronger than before.

Mikasa remained tense for another moment or so before receiving her tension with a sigh, taking a bite out of her nearly finished last piece toast. She had been so hungry, she hadn't even noticed how famished she was until Sasha displayed this delicious food in front of her which resulted in her nearly inhaling the entire meal in less than 10 minutes.

Sasha laughed a bit, making Mikasa look over to her with a cocked brow.

"If I knew you were that hungry, I would've made more." Sasha joked.

Mikasa chuckled, a bit more out of embarrassment than anything else, and shrugged. "I didn't even know I was this hungry if I'm being honest." She admitted.

Sasha giggled, shoving a spoonful of her scrambled eggs into her mouth before she looked at Mikasa with a cocked brow.

"So... what are you gonna do about Eren?" She asked, and Mikasa immediately stiffened at the inquiry.

Sasha hated bringing up such a sensitive topic so early in the morning, but she didn't know how to lead into the subject. She only knew that she wanted an answer, and it was an answer she would get goddammit.

Mikasa shrugged at the question, putting her empty plate down on the table. "I... I'm not too sure. I guess I'll just talk to him. Since I... I need to." She said.

Sasha smiled, nodding her head as Mikasa finished. 'Good answer.' She thought.

Then, Sasha stood up once she finished her meal, grabbing Mikasa's plate in the process and walking over to the sink.

"Well, nothing's stopping you now. And also, Armin texted me earlier this morning that Eren was at home a few hours ago." Sasha said, turning on the faucet and watching the water pour onto the plates.

Mikasa couldn't help the fact that her heart skipped a beat at the news, overall relieved that Eren hadn't suffered any major injuries. She also couldn't help the fact that she let out a relieved sigh at that, a small, nearly unnoticeable smile tugging at her lips.

"So?" Sasha asked.

Mikasa cocked a brow, mirroring Sasha's questioning tone with a, "so?"

"Are you gonna go see him today?"

Mikasa bit her bottom lip, eyes casting downward for a moment.

"You don't have to if you don't want-"

"No." Mikasa instantly cut her off. "I-I do want to see him." She said.

She looked up at Sasha, her eyes noticeably misty. "I want to know the truth."


	27. Just Blissful

Mikasa drew her hand back to her sides, her mind contemplating her decisions again for the—tenth? twelfth? she's lost count—time that evening.

 _'Am I ready to face him yet?'_ Her mind contemplated.

She honestly had no idea. Sure, she had already gone the extra mile by wearing decent clothing, doing her hair, and not to mention preparing a speech for when she'd see the face of the teenage boy in that house.

But she still couldn't help but feel wary.

How couldn't she?

This would basically be their first real conversation since their break-up. Her heart was still devoted to him despite her efforts to stop liking him, and she was afraid that if she saw him she'd instantly just jump into his arms and cry and apologize for everything, pleading for them to get back together.

But she was already here. She had already walked all the way over to his house. She was already on their porch and was already about to ring the doorbell.

She couldn't turn back now.

Her eyes trailed back to her house across from his.

'Or can I?'

With a sigh, she gave in, pivoting on her heel and spinning around. She knew she'd already come all this way, she knew she'd already put in so much effort just to see him, but she just couldn't...

...yet.

"Another day," Mikasa muttered. "Maybe." She added.

She stepped forward, but just at that moment, the front door swung open behind her. Mikasa's head snapped behind her, looking to see that a male with dark hair neatly slicked back and parted down the middle. Rounded glasses were perched atop his nose, and his lips were drawn out in a thin line.

"Make sure to clean your wounds out every day." He called back into the house before he looked outside, finally noticing Mikasa in front of him.

"Sure thing, Dad." A familiar, husky, and exhausted voice spoke back from within the house.

The male cocked a brow when he saw Mikasa, grey eyes devoid of any certain emotion. "Who are you?"

Mikasa closed her mouth which had recently been left agape, gathering her bearings and fashioning up a nearly indecipherable sentence.

"Uhm... E-Eren... I came to see him!" She stuttered out.

'Nice going.' Her mind chided at her.

The older male seemed to understand her sentence that probably only required two brain cells to form, his head slowly nodding as if he understood.

"Ah, I see. You a friend of his?" He asked.

Mikasa nodded, her eyes casting to the side. "S-Something like that."

"Okay, well he's inside the house. Just let yourself in." The older male said. "I was just on my way out. Have a good day." He added.

Mikasa nodded. "Th-Thanks." She said, stepping aside to let the man pass her. She then peaked inside the house, seeing the kitchen completely empty. She entered the house, looking around to see it basically empty.

Then, when she came across the bathroom, she noticed that the door was ajar, a streak of light streaming onto her face. A strangled noise came out from the room, a groan or hiss or pain maybe, making her curiosity spike as she peeked into the room.

She instantly blushed at the image she saw.

There was Eren, topless in only a pair of jeans as he tended to his wounds, although he handled the task a bit amateurishly. Mikasa couldn't help but ogle at his defined skin, heart racing as she imagined her fingertips trailing over the muscle lining his arms.

"Ah..." Eren winced as his hand went to the stitches holding together the once opened gash on his forehead. Mikasa went pale, memories of the previous day coming back to her when Eren had been so bloody that she could hardly recognize him.

She whimpered at the memory.

Eren froze, and Mikasa's hand flew up to cover her mouth.

_'Shit...'_

The male in the bathroom spun around from where he was standing to stare at his reflection in the mirror, walking closer to the door. Mikasa tried to move her feet, to run, but she froze and could only watch Eren got closer and closer to the door before he suddenly spun it open.

Mikasa stiffened once Eren's eyes zeroed in on her slightly shaking figure, his eyes going wide.

"M-Mikasa?" The boy said, aghast.

The girl cleared her throat, slowly backing up. "H-Hey." Mikasa awkwardly greeted him with a wave of her hand. "I-I... uhhh.... surprise?" She squeaked out.

There was silence as Eren continued to stare at her, eyebrow cocked. Mikasa's face was undeniably warm, cheeks flushing as she tried to keep her eyes from wandering below his chin.

Eren exhaled. "What are you doing here?"

Mikasa let out a breath she hadn't even known that she had been holding. "I wanted to see if you were okay. There was a guy who let me in earlier, with glasses." She explained.

"Oh, my dad," Eren muttered. He turned to her. "Well, I'm okay, thanks for checking up on me." He said awkwardly.

Mikasa nodded, fidgeting with her thumbs. "R-Right, anytime."

There was silence again.

"Is that all?" Eren asked.

Mikasa looked at him, the thick, awkward tension in the air nearly suffocating her. "N-No," she shook her head, "I also wanted to talk."

"Talk? About what?"

Mikasa hesitated for a moment, eyes casting downward as she exhaled. "About... us."

'Us.' The word echoed in his mind. The word that, upon spilling from her lips, would once bring on a flurry of giddy excitement for him all but confused him now.

"Oh. What about us?" He asked. "If there even is an us anymore." He muttered too quietly for her to hear.

"Well, Sasha told me some things and I thought that I might as well talk to you," Mikasa said. There was a second of silence before she added, "about the video."

Eren stiffened.

Right. Of course she meant that. That was the only 'us' that existed for them anymore. It was foolish for him to get excited and think that she was here to reignite something between them.

"If you want to rest, that's fine. I can come back-"

"No." Eren cut her off. "No, I'm fine. I've already gotten enough rest anyway." He said.

Mikasa nodded. "So... to the living room?"

Eren nodded, "yeah, let me just..." he didn't finish, instead spinning around to grab his shirt which had been on the floor.

Mikasa frowned when he began to cover up his torso when she suddenly stopped him, gaping. "You're bleeding."

Eren turned around to face her, then followed her gaze to his bloody knuckles. He mentally cursed at himself, forgetting to put on the bandage his father had told him to, but then looked at Mikasa.

"It's fine. The pain's gone away after I took some-"

He's cut off when Mikasa took his hand, observing his knuckles with brows curved upward in worry. He blushed at the sudden act, and after Mikasa finished examining the cut she looked up at him.

"We need to bandage this up." She said.

Eren looked at her, studying her features before exhaling. "Alright." He said.

Mikasa asked him if they had a first aid kit and luckily, they did, Eren having no trouble finding it as he gave it to her. She took out a cylindrical container containing ointment and after Eren had finished cleaning out his wounds as she had instructed, she took a cotton swab and ran it over the bruised knuckles.

"Sorry, it'll sting." She said, preoccupied.

As if right one cue with the end of Mikasa's warning, Eren hissed in a sharp breath, the initial stinging feeling slowly melting away as he got used to Mikasa's delicate care.

"So," he began, clearing his throat, "about the video. What did you want to talk about?" He asked, leaning against the sink.

Mikasa shrugged. "I want to hear your side of the story. I know I didn't really give you a fair chance to explain yourself that well and I should know how much it sucks to be ignored. Hell, I had a friendship ruined because of miscommunication." She said, obviously referring back to her and Annie's once unbreakable bond which, ironically, broke.

Eren sighed. "There's not much to say. My account got hacked and I couldn't log in for a while. When I tried to tell the principal, he didn't believe me. When I told you... well..." he didn't finish, because they both know how the sentence is going to end.

'I didn't believe him either.'

"Can I ask you a question? Not about the video, though. Just about us." She asked.

Eren nodded, "shoot."

"How do you feel about me?" She asked, and she froze for a moment before placing the swab down and to grab the bandage. "Did you ever love me?" She added.

"Of course." The lack of hesitation in his response didn't fill Mikasa with as much closure as she hoped it would. "I love you, Mikasa. I don't think I've ever stopped."

Mikasa gingerly wrapped the bandage around his hand.

"Then... why?" She breathed.

"Why what?"

"Why does it feel so wrong when I say that... that..." she stopped moving her hands to look up at him, "I still love you?"

Eren's cheeks reddened at the words.

"Every goddamn time whenever I think it, I feel so wrong. I feel like I'm betraying myself, pathetic even." She admitted.

Eren parted his lips to speak, but Mikasa kept going.

"I just wanna know the truth. Because... I've been slowly putting the pieces together. Like how on that night when we were doing it, I heard a noise. Like a camera, and then shuffling as if someone were running away." She said. "I don't think you did it. I'm not sure, but I don't _not_ believe you."

The tiniest bit of hope swelled within Eren's emerald irises. All he was hoping for was happening right then and there; for Mikasa to not accuse him of ruining their relationship. It was all happening and all he had to do was not meddle with her recovery.

"Thank you." Eren breathed, just overall thankful but unsure of who he was exactly thanking. Was he thanking Mikasa for coming to an understanding? Was he thanking whatever God existed for letting this happen? He didn't know but didn't care. He just felt as if thanks were in order.

Mikasa smiled at this, but it was small, and shook her head. She wasn't saying 'you're welcome', though, because she must know that Eren's gratitude wasn't aimed towards her.

"I... I was coming up with a theory too." Eren spoke up after a few more seconds of silence. "Although it's half-assed. I was just thinking that maybe it was Annie. Her and Hitch, maybe. Maybe someone caught us through a window, snapped the photo, and sent it to Annie. And then one thing led to another and she someone hacked my account to post it under my name. It's a bit of a stretch but... but..." Mikasa shook her head at that last part.

"No, it's not," Mikasa reassured him.

Eren moved by impulse, pushing himself off the sink to stand right in front of Mikasa. The girl's hands went to her side, completely forgetting that she needed to finish wrapping up his hand. "I mean... I'm just sure that someone hacked me. Because even now, I can't log into my account."

Mikasa stared up at him, since he was taller than her—him nearly 180 cm and her only 175 cm—and blinked.

"I'm sure I got hacked..." he repeated, but his voice was far off this time. He was speaking absentmindedly, instead focusing on Mikasa's frame in front of his. Focusing on the frame that belonged to the girl who had—no, has his heart.

"So... so we're doing this together? Finding the culprit together?" Mikasa asked, but she sounded just as preoccupied.

Eren's heart skipped a bit at her saying the word 'together'.

"Yeah, together." He exhaled.

Once silence settled between them, they no longer needed to focus on talking. They instead focused on the figure upon them, just now realizing how close their bodies were to each other.

But they daren't pull back.

Mikasa stepped closer to Eren, their body a hair's breadth away from each other.

And then they stood there for a moment. Staring at each other, their bodies dangerously close, blushes slow long crawling across their faces. Their breathing was in time, chests slowing rising and falling together as they remained in their own little paradise from just staring at each other.

Then, Eren finally willed himself to move, hands slowly snaking around Mikasa's back. He hesitated as if waiting for Mikasa to shy away, but she didn't, giving him the okay to rest his hands in her hips.

Mikasa's body tensed only slightly before familiarizing itself with Eren's once constant touch. She began to make a move of her own, hands trembling as they went to Eren's very exposed chest. Her fingertips were cold against his skin and when she felt Eren shiver, she sucked in a sharp breath and lowered her hands to his waist.

They were so close... so damn close.

Eren began to lean forward, breaths mingling in the same vicinity as his eyelids slowly fluttered shut.

Mikasa only looked on in shock.

_'Pull away. Pull away now!'_

But she didn't listen.

She didn't listen and kept not listening as Eren leaned in closer to connect their lips. He was taking forever, it felt like an eternity, but Mikasa, despite how much she tried to, couldn't move. She couldn't back away, nor pull forward. She just stood there, like a dumbstruck idiot, watching Eren as he drew himself closer to her.

She needed him, needed him closer.

She tightened her grasp on Eren's waist, accidentally squeezing at the skin which made blood rush around under it. He stiffened slightly at this, his movements halting. He was probably frozen for only a few seconds, but that was too long because Mikasa then took the initiative of leaning forward to finally connect their lips.

The initial feeling of surprise that sparked between them the moment their lips touched quickly melted away once they began to kiss passionately as if making up for lost time. It hadn't even been three seconds before their tongues slid together, tasting what the other had for breakfast in their saliva.

'Pull away... please pull away,' a silent voice begged in Mikasa's head, but she paid no mind to it. She drowned out the voice with her moans of pleasure eliciting from the kiss, from the feeling of Eren's lips smashed against hers.

'No... more pressure. More him.' Mikasa protested with the voice in her mind.

She felt Eren spin them around, grabbing her figure as if she weighed close to a feather or nothing and heaving her up on the sink. She let out a noise of small surprise, but it was dampened by the lips pressed against hers.

Both of their bodies simultaneously relaxed in spite of the fact that they're hearts were racing a mile a minute. It seemed as if once they got through the initial surprise and shock from their kiss, they felt no restriction when it came to nearing the threshold of something more than just chaste kisses.

 _'But we can't go further than this...'_ Mikasa thought, albeit sluggishly from her pleasure. _'We can't... not here... not now... not yet.'_

But still, despite her better judgment, she couldn't will her lips to utter any words or noise that would indicate discomfort or anything but solidarity. She could only just moan, her pleas of "more" not going unnoticed by Eren as he took it to the next level.

Slowly, he disconnected their lips, dragging them down her chin to pepper her neck with kisses. His hands remained on her waist that now writhed as her thighs squeezed together in pleasure, reveling in the feeling that sprouted between her legs.

She let out a moan before she bit her bottom lip, trying to suppress it as her hands flew up to bury themselves in the chocolate jungle commonly known as Eren's hair. She grabbed onto it, her grip tight, her breaths heavy, her eyes screwed shut.

 _'But we can't go further than this...' t_ hat same voice began in Mikasa's mind. _'We can't we can't we can't.'_

Her eyelids fluttered open slowly, now looking at Eren through half-lidded sight.

"W-Wait," finally came her strangled voice to protest.

She tugged on Eren's hair in case he hadn't heard her (he did, but the tugging did get him to stop quicker) and his reaction was slow, breaths hot against her neck as he forcefully pulled his lips away from her now flushed skin, but he eventually halted his advances to look up at her.

His expression was one of pure terror, his eyes wide, his blush still strikingly red, his lips swollen but parted in shock as he wondered if he went too far again.

"I-I'm so sorry." He quickly began, words frantically spilling from his lips. "Was that too much? I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. I'm sorry, I really am."

Mikasa cocked a brow at him, wondering why he was so panicked when she suddenly remembered past events and realization dawned on her.

'Oh... he thinks... he thinks I wasn't enjoying it,' she realized.

Mikasa tried not to laugh, she really did, but she does. She giggled madly. It had titter out of her, and she leaned forward to laugh into a bewildered Eren's shoulder.

It's the kind of laugh that could ease any awkward tension in a room. The kind of laugh that almost eased Eren down from his paranoia.

Almost.

"S-Sorry, sorry," she sputtered through her laughter, shaking her head. "I don't mean to laugh. It's just, you looked really surprised. I dunno, it was funny."

Eren frowned at her as she reeled herself down from her amusement, now looking at him with a small smile.

"It was cute."

Eren stopped frowning. "Oh." He understood that, when they were dating, if Mikasa ever found him cute, it meant that her teasing was harmless.

'But that was when we were dating...' he begrudgingly thought.

He would've let that thought niggle him if it were any other circumstance, but considering the fact that she wasn't flinching from the fact that his hands were subconsciously making their way around her waist, he could recognize that her discomfort around him had lessened hitherto. And just that alone made his discomfort slowly melt away as well.

"The only reason why I wanted you to stop was because I don't think this is the right time for... you know."

He did know. "Yeah, I get your point." He nodded.

'Although I can't help wanting more.'

The smile on Mikasa's face proved contagious because the moment Eren's apprehension disappeared, he found a smile forming on his lips as well.

And he felt comfortable. They felt comfortable. Just staring at each other, smiling; smiling with swollen lips from their kiss, and happy; happy that the tension between them was gone, happy that they were together again, just happy.

Just blissful.

Until a voice came which startled the two.

"Eren?"


	28. With Each Other Forever

They were comfortable staring at each other. With the bliss that filled their senses, how could they _not_ be? They swore that they could've just stayed there, Mikasa perched on the edge of the sink counter, her hands still buried in Eren's hair, Eren's arms around her waist, his eyes staring into hers, their bodies dangerously close to one another's.

They could've stayed there, breathing in time, lips swollen but smiling nonetheless.

They _could've_.

But they _didn't_.

Because then a voice came.

"Eren?"

Both were slow to react, their movements sluggish as they turned to the doorway to see none other than Eren's mother standing there, fully clad in business attire. Her lips were parted and her eyes were wide in shock as she watched Eren then frantically pull away from Mikasa, making her land on the flooring with an 'oof' before she gained her balance.

Then, her eyes snapped up to meet Eren's mother's eyes.

"What is going on here?"

Both soon-to-be adults couldn't help the blush that flooded their cheeks as they then averted eye contact with the woman upon them.

"Shit..." Eren muttered, shaking his head before he looked up to his mom again. "U-Uhm, hey mom." He stuttered out.

Mikasa refused to lift her gaze out of pure embarrassment.

"Hey? Uhh, I came to tell you that I had to go to work... but what's going on in here?" She asked again.

Eren cleated his throat, laughing dryly and more out of embarrassment than amusement. "You see, funny story actually."

"I'm not laughing." She sternly said.

"R-Right, yeah, but basically Mikasa came over to check up on me from yesterday. She even helped patch me up," he said, lifting his half-wrapped hands. "Well, sorta."

His mom cocked a brow at him. "Eren-"

"I-I'm sorry, Mrs. Jeager." Mikasa began, tripping over her words. "I just came here to check up on Eren, but I'll be leaving now." She was so red, so goddamn red.

With a muttered 'goodbye', she awkwardly shuffled out of the bathroom, eyes glued to the floor to keep her red blush from being spotted. She quickly slipped on her shoes before making her way outside, exhaling a breath as she made her way back to her house.

Finally, when she was inside, she stood there and sighed the heels of her palms into her eyes.

"Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck." She shook her head out of embarrassment. She was so hot, her hair could light on fire.

"Whoa, what's with all the profanities girl?" Sasha's voice came.

Mikasa lifted her head to meet Sasha's worried gaze, then exhaled. "Eren and I... it's... we made up." She stammered, gaze lowering to the floor. _'More like made out.'_ Came an unbidden thought right after she spoke.

"That's great! Is it not?" Sasha asked, confused with Mikasa's flustered state.

"Y-Yeah but... his mom walked in on us." She said, stomach twisting uncomfortably as she admitted this. Sasha cocked a brow, stepping closer to Mikasa.

"Walked in on you... doing what?" Sasha asked, a light teasing lilt to her tone. Mikasa's eyes went wide as she looked up to Sasha again, noticing the light smirk playing on her lips. "Mikasa, did you and Eren do more than just talk?" She drawled teasingly.

Mikasa groaned, turning bright red as she leaned her back against the wall. "Yes," she whined, "we kissed."

Sasha smirked, fully approaching Mikasa and wrapping an arm around her. "And you don't regret it?"

Mikasa thought for a moment, did she regret it? Did she regret the way she pressed her lips against his? Did she regret the way he hoisted her up on the sink counter? Did she regret the way he sucked in her neck? Did she regret anything?

The more she thought of it, the quicker she came to the conclusion that no, she didn't regret it. In fact, she _enjoyed_ it.

She smiled. "No." She shook her head. "I don't regret it."

Sasha's smirked formed into a soft smile. "Great. Now that you've handled your business, wanna help me with the dishes?" She asked.

Mikasa scoffed mirthfully, nodding. "Sure." She said, and right afterward the two were striding into the kitchen to the dishes in the sink. There weren't many, but there also wasn't a scarce amount either.

"Let's get this cleaned quickly so that my brother won't kill me when he gets home." Mikasa offered, turning on the sink faucet.

Sasha nodded, joining her at the sink. "Roger that."

* * *

Eren was, like most teenage boys, rash. He tried to be rational, but during moments like these, he found himself marching right into danger without a plan in mind.

He was only shopping when he had seen her, and he told himself not to react, to just let her go on with her day, but when had he even been good at holding himself back? He waited until she was at an empty aisle, then marched his way toward her when her back was turned.

He shouldn't be doing this, not in public, but he was just so angry and he couldn't _help_ it.

"Hitch." He growled the girl's name out.

She spun around, then locked eyes with Eren and gulped.

"Oh, God." She muttered under her breath. "Can I help you?" She asked him.

"Yeah, you can." He spat out, stepping closer to her. "Mind telling me who you got to hack into my account?"

Hitch's eyes widened slightly before she shrunk them back to normality, but it was too late. Eren had caught it.

"I knew it. It was you and Annie, right? You hacked my account and posted the video, didn't you?" He asked.

Hitch shook her head. "Where the hell did you come up with that idiotic theory?" She asked.

"Because I know I didn't post it, and the only people who have a strong enough vendetta against Mikasa do to something this horrible are you and Annie. Why won't you just leave her alone?" He asked.

"Because she's a fucking whore." Hitch spat out.

"Watch it," Eren warned.

Hitch smirked. "Or else what? We're in public, you can do anything to me." She scoffed.

"I wouldn't be so sure," Eren said, grabbing her by the collar of her shirt, stretching it. "Tell me who you got to hack my account."

"Hey! Stop! You'll ruin my shirt!" Hitch cried.

"I don't give a damn about your shirt. Answer the fucking question." Eren said. He reached behind his back to his phone in his back pocket, then pressed a button.

Hitch looked around but, much to her dismay, nobody was around. It was nearly closing hours for the store anyway, it wasn't likely that there'd be people shopping at this time anyway.

"Okay, okay." She said, fear finally settling on her. "I-It was Bertholdt. One of Annie's friends who's in college!" Hitch said.

Eren huffed, but he didn't feel victory reign on him just yet. "And who took the video?"

"I don't know!" Hitch cried.

Eren cocked a brow.

"Honest! We just got an anonymous message one day of the video. L-Look," she pulled her phone out of her pocket and quickly went to her messages, then showed Eren the text, "see! Someone just told us to post it! You've gotta believe me!" Hitch cried.

Eren scowled at her before snatching her phone out of her hands, reading the number carefully to memorize it.

"Fine." He spat out, tossing Hitch her phone back with no regard for whether or not it would break or not. "Thanks for your help." He said, and right after that he was walking away and exiting the store. He reached into his back pocket and fished his phone out, then pressed the button again, smiling in content.

"I've got her." He muttered to himself, victoriously as he smirked. He marched his way toward his car, got into the driver's seat, then turned in the vehicle. As he drove off, however, something niggled his mind and it wasn't until he was already halfway down the road did he realize what was wrong.

"Oh shit! I forgot to buy anything!"

* * *

Levi pulled up into his driveway, his girlfriend in his passenger seat. He turned to her, unable to contain his stupid smile upon seeing her flushed cheeks.

"You alright there?" He asked, a teasing lilt to his tone.

Petra huffs, crossing her arms and pursing her lips together like a toddler. She always acted childish whenever she was drunk.

"Yup! Perfectly fine!" She declared.

Levi smiled, unbuckling his seatbelt and leaning over to her to press his lips against hers.

"Great. Let's get you inside to rest." He said, leaning back.

Petra stayed put, her cheeks flushing redder than the alcohol from earlier had left her, and before she moved she leaned over to kiss Levi again. Her hands went to his neck, pulling him closer, and he obliged by leaning back into her.

"I don't wanna go rest yet," Petra whined into his mouth.

Levi smirked, hands going to her chin to hold her face away from his as they separated. "Who said you were resting alone?" He asked with a cocky quirk of his brow.

Petra smiled at this, a smile a little too innocent regarding the sudden dirty thoughts plaguing her mind, and then unbuckled herself.

"Well, if that's the case..." she muttered, opening the door to hop out the car. Levi followed after her, the couple walking into the house through the front door with their fingers intertwined. He always felt blissful with Petra beside him.

He removed his shoes, then guided Petra to his room. On his way, he saw Mikasa on the living room couch, gushing as she spoke with someone on the phone. He waved a simple greeting to her, knowing that she was on the phone and didn't have time to speak, and she returned to gesture.

Her eyes went to Petra, noticing how drunk the adult was and how the was only able to walk with Levi holding her. At this, Mikasa smirked, sending Levi a look with not-so-innocent intentions and Levi turned the lightest shade of pink as he led Petra into his room.

Petra immediately threw herself onto the bed, eyelids slowly drifting shut as Levi shut the door. She reached her hands up, hiccuping as she reached out for Levi.

"Levi..." she whined, and Levi replies by walking to her and lacing his fingers through hers again.

"I'm here, baby." He offered, sitting down on the edge of his bed that was too small for the two of them ( _but they always managed to somehow make it work_ ).

Petra smiled softly, reaching her other hand up and pulling Levi's head down so that their lips met again. Levi didn't resist as their lips crashed together, and instead, he moved onto the bed so that his body hovered over hers.

They separated to catch their breath again, and Petra stared at him through half-lidded eyes, staring at the way his black hair flopped forward, at how when he leaned down to kiss her again his hair tickled her skin and she had to stifle a giggle so that their endeavor could continue without interruption.

They kiss again, and Petra's hands leave Levi's to hug his back. She loved him, loved him so, and she didn't hesitate expression this as his lips left hers to trail peppered kisses along her neck.

"I know, baby," Levi muttered against her skin in response to her sweet nothings.

"No, I really mean it. I'm not just saying it to say it." Petra said, her words leaving her throat breathily.

Levi pulled himself back up so that they could stare at each other again.

"What do you mean?"

"I love you, a _lot_." She said, shaking her head and laughing breathily as if what she said was so dumb that it was hilarious. "And I want to be with you forever."

Levi smiled and shifted to lie down. Petra shifted too so that they're cuddling together within his small, cramped bed.

"Then let's be together forever." Levi offered, pressing a kiss atop her head.

Petra hummed pleasantly, nodding her head. "I'd like that." She said, words slurred with both drunkenness and drowsiness.

"Go to sleep, now," Levi said, and Petra nodded again.

"Okay..." she muttered, eyes already closing as she let unconsciousness succumb her.

Levi knew, that when she sobered up, she wouldn't remember saying this. He can already see it now; he'd bring it up sometime, and she'd laugh and shrug it off, blame her words in the beer, but Levi would know otherwise. He knew that she wanted to be with him forever, and he knew that he wanted to be with her forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> heads up, the next few chapters will include a lot of rivetra.
> 
> also, i ship Levi with too many people ;-;


	29. Back Together Again

The next day, Petra was the last to awaken. First, it was Levi, then Mikasa, and now it's Petra.

The ginger awoke to a throbbing headache, and although it did hurt, she could still manage. Like how she managed to drag herself out of bed, still in her clothing from yesterday, and how she managed to drag herself to the kitchen.

Mikasa was already in the kitchen when Petra had woken up, munching on a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and she watched, amused, as Petra guided herself through the kitchen almost as if she were in a haze. It's almost hilarious, the way her eyes were half-lidded, and how she had to hold her hands out to keep from crashing into anything.

Mikasa snorted. "You okay there, Petra?"

Petra turned to Mikasa who sat on a stool by the kitchen island, the throbbing in her head going down.

"I'm... I think I have a hangover." She admitted.

Mikasa snickered, eating the last of her sandwich and hopping to her feet. "Go sit down and I'll cook up some oatmeal for you." She said, and Petra moaned and licked her lips at the mention of oatmeal.

"Yes, please." She said, without protest, and immediately plopped down on the stool where Mikasa was sitting. She rested her head in her arms, listening to the distinct sound of Mikasa humming as she poured some dried oats into a bowl.

Nearly 10 minutes later, the doorbell rang, and Mikasa rushed to shove the bowl into the microwave before she shuffled over to the front door and swung it open. On the other side stood Eren, looking like he had just gotten out of bed despite it being noon.

"I'm here." He said, yawning, "like you asked."

Mikasa smiled, opening the door wider. "Good. I want to talk to you about what you said over the phone." She said.

Eren nodded, the memory of last night coming back when he and Mikasa stayed up late speaking on the phone.

"Right, right. About Hitch." He said, inviting himself inside.

Mikasa nodded. "Yeah. I'm making some food for Petra right now, so just sit down on the couch. I'll be done in a bit." She said, walking towards the kitchen as Eren followed suit.

"Who's at the door?" Petra groggily called out, head still buried in her arms.

Mikasa and Eren exchanged a quick look of worry, but Mikasa quickly cleared and throat and said, "just some guy selling stuff."

"Mmn, okay," Petra said, her voice already trailing off as she felt herself doze off.

Mikasa and Eren exchanged another look again, this time, both smiling as Mikasa lightly tittered. Oh, the thrill she felt sneaking a boy over, even if that boy was Eren.

The sound of the microwave beeping filled the room, and Mikasa passed Eren a look that told him to wait a minute as she rushed back to the microwave. She pulled out the bowl, hasty to spend some time with Eren, but forgot about how hot the bowl would be and instantly burned herself.

She let out a hiss of pain and instantly retracted her hand, the glass bowl landing back in the microwave with a clink. Petra looked up immediately, and Eren froze, instantly backing away as Mikasa mouthed 'go, go upstairs.' He obliged, and before Petra could look behind her, he was gone.

Petra looked back to Mikasa. "Oh, sweetie, that looks like a nasty burn." She said, standing up form where she sat and swaying as she walked over to Mikasa. "Here, I'll finish up the oatmeal. You go upstairs and ice that burn."

Mikasa nodded, grabbing a napkin and two pieces of ice before she put it over her wound. She waved Petra goodbye before she disappeared up the stairs and met Eren in her room.

"Mikasa, are you okay?" Eren asked.

Mikasa nodded, smiling weakly. "Yeah, it's not a bad burn." She said, removing the ice and letting him get a look at the barely flushed skin for emphasis. "I'll be fine."

Eren sighed, plopping down on her bed. "That's a relief."

Mikasa nodded, closing the door but not all the way as she joined him at the edge of her bed. "So, you said you got Hitch to admit the truth?" She asked, not bothering to lead into the topic because they both knew it would end up like this somehow.

At this, Eren nodded, pulling out his phone from his pocket. "I got a recording of her saying it. I saw her at the store yesterday and I got her to admit everything and recorded it." He said, playing the aforementioned recording right after.

Mikasa listened carefully, listened to Hitch admit that they hacked Eren's account, that they were sent the video, that it wasn't Eren's fault. She listened to her say it all.

When the recording ended, Eren shut his phone off and just looked at Mikasa. She looked away, with a faraway expression, but then a smile slowly crept onto her lips.

"It really wasn't you." She breathed. She felt so happy, so happy that Eren didn't betray her, that she could cry. "It wasn't you!" She cried again, happiness seeping through her tone.

She stood up, Eren stood up, and she slid her arms around him and trapped him in a tight embrace. It felt so good to hug him in spite of everything. She wanted this moment to last forever.

"No," Eren shook his head, hugging her back, "it wasn't me. It was never me."

Mikasa wore a smile so wide it could split her face, and tears began to rim her eyes. She buried her face in his shirt, inhaling his scent, then looked up at him again with eyes glowing with tears.

"I-I don't... I can't..." she couldn't speak, was speechless, was just so happy.

"It's okay, you don't have to say anything." Eren shook his head, and Mikasa nodded and buried her face in his shirt again. She was crying now, she couldn't help it, couldn't help the fact that her heart ached pleasantly. Was that even possible?

She cried, she sobbed, bawled her eyes out until her cries began to rake her body. Eren would've felt terrible seeing her cry had they not be under such circumstances, but he knew that she was only joyous and he knew that she needed this.

"I'm so happy." She uttered, looking up at him again. She had wet his shirt with her tears, but he didn't care. He was just so happy they were close again. "Thank you for just... thank you!"

Eren nodded, stroking her hair. "It's my pleasure." He said.

She stopped crying, finally, and instead her cheeks were just tear-stained. She was flushed, so warm too, and couldn't help the urge she felt to connect their lips again. She couldn't help it as she rolled up on the tips of her toes, connected their lips, and kissed him.

Eren leaned down slightly so they could kiss more comfortably, feeling her warmth within his grasp. She was here again, here with him again, and this time it was for real.

"So," he disconnected their once entangled lips and tongues to speak, "does this mean you'll... mean that we can get back together?"

Mikasa nodded, reached her hands up to meet behind his neck. "You bet your ass it does," said she before she kissed him again, pulling his head down so they had easier reach.

She felt so happy, she never wanted this moment to end.

* * *

When Levi returned home, he saw two things that made him snicker. His girlfriend, hungover and passed out on the couch, with the tv on watching a reality tv show. He chuckled at the way she snored and drooled, then felt himself laugh harder when he saw what was playing.

"Say yes to the dress?" He muttered. He knew Petra didn't like reality tv. Maybe this was a sign?

He shook his thoughts away, turned off the tv, then approached his unconscious lover.

"Babe, wake up." He murmured softly, shaking her body. She stirred, groaning and turning to her side.

"Nooo, my head hurts." She drawled.

"That's what you get for drinking so much last night. And at a company meeting too?" He said, and Petra groaned unpleasantly at the memory.

"They offered me wine and I was thirsty. Don't blame me." She whined, eyes still shut. Levi sighed and straightened up, walking to the window and opening the curtain. Sunlight poured into the living room and Petra hissed, turning so that she was lying facedown.

Levi sighed again. "I'll take you out to Starbucks and get some tea for you. And we can get Tylenol on the way home." He offered, and Petra sat up at the offer.

"Ye-"

"But," he cut her off before she could finish, "you need to get changed first. And clean up the drool on your face."

Petra groaned for the umpteenth time, sitting there in silence as if she were contemplating his offer before she shrugged. "Fine. Let me get my spare clothes from your room."

"Attagirl," Levi said, watching as Petra stood up and dragged herself up the steps. She still swayed as she walked, head throbbing worse than it was earlier that morning, and she had to lean against the wall for support.

She pressed a hand against Mikasa's door as she walked past, but much to her surprise, it swung open. She nearly fell into the room, barely catching proper footing as the two teens in the room started. They jumped apart, Mikasa struggled to wipe away at her tears and Eren jumped away and hid in her closet.

Petra opened her eyes once she caught her balance and looked into the room, not seeing Eren. Her eyes then widened when she saw Mikasa's face.

"Mikasa, are you crying?"

"Huh? Oh no, this?" She scoffed mirthfully, wiping away at the dried tears in a vain attempt to clear them. "I just saw a sad movie. Nothing terrible."

Petra looked at her skeptically, but her pulsating head was screaming at her to hurry up and dress so that she could get some tea and Tylenol. "You sure?"

"Yup. Totally fine."

Petra eyes her suspiciously once more before she exhaled and shrugged, as if letting go on the topic, and Mikasa's shoulders dropped in relief. "Alright, if you say so. Levi and I are going out, but we should be back soon. We're just going to the store."

Mikasa nodded, walking backward and sitting on her bed. "Okay. I'll text you if I need anything."

Petra eyed here, up and down, one more time before she nodded. "Yeah. We won't be long."

And with that, Petra led off into Levi's room, closing Mikasa's door fully this time. Mikasa exhaled a breath of relief, her tension dispersing as she rushed to her feet and locked the door. Eren appeared out of her closet and he smiled, sighing too.

"I almost thought we'd get caught," Eren said, stepping out of the closet, but looking bright red.

"Me too. Second time in a row, it would've been. Just our luck." She joked with a giggle.

Eren nodded, but still remained red. Mikasa rose a questioning brow at him, approaching him slowly. "Hey, you okay? Your face looks warm. And it.." she reached her hand up and pressed the back of her hand to his forehead, "it feels warm too."

Eren shrugged, "probably just because what we were doing earlier." He teased lightly.

Mikasa's cheeks turned red, remembering instantly, and then she thought of herself as an idiot. "Right..." her voice trailed off as she tittered.

"Well, since Levi and Petra will be out, wanna stay a bit longer?" She asked Eren.

Eren nodded, situating himself on the edge of Mikasa's bed again.

"Here, let's wait till they leave and we can go downstairs." She offered, sitting down beside him and pulling her phone out.

"Yeah, let's do that."

It didn't take longer than 10 minutes before Mikasa saw Levi's car pulling out of the driveway through the second window in her bedroom, and she gave Eren the okay to head downstairs.

Eren went first as Mikasa searched for her phone charger, checking in the closet to see where Eren had been standing and seeing that he had been stepping right beside a basket of her dirty laundry. She sent a mental apology up into the atmosphere, hoping he'd receive it somehow, then looked down into the basket one more time to see...

...that atop her clothing was a pair of panties she had worn the previous night, damp from what could only be identified as her... 'love juices'. She sent another apology into the atmosphere again, face verging on the color bright red, and then she was inevitably reminded of why her panties were soaked in the first place.

She swore she could've melted right out of embarrassment at the memory of the name she had moaned into her pillow in the darkness of her bedroom, late at night, when the all were asleep. All, except for her.

She slid the closet door shut faster than she ever had in the entirety of her living.

Ya'know, she just realized that maybe she would be able to last without her phone charger.

When Mikasa crept downstairs, Eren was already sitting on the living room couch, his blush no longer noticeable as Mikasa remained bright red. She had hoped he received her apology somehow.

She sat beside him as he turned on the tv, and both of them scrolled through the channels before they opted to Netflix to watch an episode of a comedy show instead of searching for hours to find something to watch on live tv.

Little by little, they closed the gap that stretched between them on the couch until their upper arms were touching, and Mikasa thought 'fuck it,' as she leaned into him. They immediately curled into each other, Eren's arm wrapped around her shoulders as Mikasa settled somewhere near his lap. Eren's laid back against the armrest, his legs stretched out as Mikasa settled between his thighs, head resting on his chest and listening to the slow, steady beat of his heart.

And they eventually fell asleep.


	30. Lack of Unerstanding

"Do you like your tea?" Asked Levi, teasingly, since he already knew the answer. Judging by the way Petra's nose scrunched up and her lip curled after she took a few measly sips of her hot tea, she didn't like the tea one bit.

"It's repulsive," she spat out.

Levi shrugged, "well, maybe you shouldn't-"

"Shouldn't have had wine at the business meeting. I know, I know." Petra cut him off with a roll of her eyes. Levi snickered. She was so cute.

"Did you take the Tylenol?" He asked.

Petra shook her head, reaching into the grocery bag and taking out the medicine. She took out two pills, put them on her tongue, then dowsed it with a swig of her tea. She let out a distasteful groan afterward.

"We're almost home, so you can drink it when we watch our show today anyway." He said. Petra nodded, putting the cup down and sighing.

"I wonder how Mikasa's doing." She muttered, just barely being heard by Levi.

At this, the male Ackerman cocked a brow. "What do you mean? Is she sick or something?"

Petra shook her head. "I dunno. She was crying today, but then said it was because she was watching a sad movie or something. I just hope she's alright." She exhaled.

Levi nodded. "Yeah, me too. Surely, she'd reach out to us?" He said. It was meant to be a declaration like he knew that she would reach out, but instead, it came out like a question. Then reality punched him right in the gut. And he realized that, ' _holy hell. Mikasa never tells me when she's hurting._ '

Petra seemed to notice that her boyfriend had an epiphany, and although she didn't what it was, she seemed to have understood to a certain degree. "Let's hope so. I hope she isn't hiding too many secrets."

Levi rose a brow again, at this. "What, you mean she's already hiding something?"

Petra snorted. "Of course she is. She's almost 18, of course, she's not gonna tell you everything."

"But... what would she hide?" Levi whispered like he didn't know if he was allowed to ask the question of not.

Petra shrugged. "The usual. Like sneaking out to a friend's house at night, or a boy's house." She teased, but she quickly wished she could take the words back again. She watched Levi's expression sour, and she wished she could reach out into the air and grab her words and swallow them back up like she never said them in the first place.

But she _did_ say them, and Levi heard her, too.

"She better not. Not again." He growled, shaking his head. "Last time-"

"She's still hurting from last time, so give her time," Petra said, hearing Levi's voice raise. "She won't jump back into dating so soon. The other day, she told me a guy asked her out, but she said she was only going to try things out. By the looks of it, she must've rejected him or something."

Levi sighed. "I just hope she won't be reckless again."

Petra didn't know how to respond to that, so she didn't. She just let Levi drive them home in silence, which wasn't very long, and they pulled up to the driveway.

"That took longer than expected. We were gone for nearly an hour." She proclaimed, stepping out of the car and grabbing the grocery bag. She spoke normally as if minutes ago, Levi _wasn't_ close to exploding.

"Yeah, because _someone_ decided that they also wanted haircare and skincare products when they got to the store," Levi said, eyeing the bag Petra held which contained more than just hangover medication.

"Okay, okay. You've got me there. But hey, this," she playfully flipped her hair, "takes time. _Beauty_ takes time."

Levi rolled his eyes playfully, walking up the steps, and unlocking the front door. Both him and Petra entered the house, noise from the tv heard from where they were standing, so Levi suspected that Mikasa was sitting on the couch and watching television.

Deciding to greet his sister, he walked ahead of Petra but instantly froze when he saw not one, but two figures on his couch.

One figure belonged to his beloved younger sister, but the other—the other belonged to...

"Eren." Levi spat out like venom.

* * *

_You whore._

There's a terrible feeling most people get when they're insulted. It's a sunken feeling, a feeling of slight dread and disappointment and shame and sadness all at once. And although most people have built up thick skin and don't feel that sunken feeling anymore, Mikasa _does_.

Every time she would try to thicken her skin, be braver or more confident, another insult would coming flying at her from nowhere and knock her down another peg.

_You should slit your throat._

The words, they sound in her ear as the figure in front of her speaks.

A person—no, wait, a group of people, all dark silhouettes with bright white eyes. Two figures stand in front, arms crossed and stance confident as if they rule over those behind them. Two girls, both blonde, both familiar.

It's Annie and Hitch, who stand with lips curled up into malicious smiles and Hitch lowers her hand to her cocked hip. They stare at her with eyes with no pupils and no white, only a stark red.

And then there's Mikasa, not even current Mikasa, but it was her when she was in 9th grade. Her hair was short like it was back then, her skin was ruddy like it was back then. Her expression was innocent like it was back then, and her body was frail—just like it is now.

She stood there, body trembling from pure fear as she watched Annie and Hitch snickered at her. Their lips slowly parted, their cackles fill Mikasa's ears.

_You fucking slut._

Mikasa shrunk away from them, hands clasping over her ears. How do you stop insults that sound from within your head?

Suddenly, it stopped, and Mikasa looked up to see that Annie and Hitch had begun to pursue her.

_Disgusting. Ugly. Repulsive._

The dark silhouettes begin to chant insults over and over again. Mikasa felt tears rim her eyes, and she shook her head.

"Stop it," she whispered fearfully, rearing as Annie and Hitch continued to approach her. She watched as they dropped to their knees and sat forward on all fours, crawling towards her as their heads twitched.

_You don't deserve to live._

Mikasa whimpered.

_You're a slut._

A tear fell from her eyes.

_Die._

She stumbled over herself and fell right on her ass. Still, she managed to shrink away somehow, terrified of the monsters that began to approach her. Annie's lips parted again, and she rose to her knees.

" _Nobody loves you_." Her voice came. " _You're a fucking disgrace._ "

"Please," Mikasa chocked out, "what did I ever do to you?" Hitch stopped moving, but Annie didn't. Annie crawled back onto all fours and chased Mikasa until Mikasa's body was stark. "Stop it. I didn't mean it." This time, Mikasa's words come out in the voice of a child, _her_ voice from when she was a freshman, and Annie's tormenting had just begun.

"Please, stop." Now she sounded like she's begging, crying begging, with terror etched onto her face.

Annie rose to her knees again, and Mikasa watched, horrified, as a myriad of black arms shot out at her from the darkness surrounding her, snaking their way up and around her body and touching _everywhere_. At her waist, at her thighs, at her breasts, at her neck. The ones at her neck gripped tightly onto her throat, and Mikasa clawed desperately at it in hopes of loosening its grasp to _breathe_.

" _You should just-"_

"Mikasa!"

The voice came at her from nowhere yet everywhere at the same time. It screamed it's urgency piercing through the darkness as light began to flood her surroundings. Mikasa watched, still sobbing, as the darkness around her came to light and the dark silhouettes that were once chanting insults at her all dispersed.

Hitch and Annie turned as if they could identify where the voice was coming from, and Mikasa turned her head to see what they were seeing.

"Mikasa!" The voice came again, and Mikasa's tears dried on her cheeks as her crying cane to a stop.

Hitch and Annie stared at the light, their gazes focused on one particular area. Those eyes, non-eyes, redness where eyes ought to be, express a bit of surprise before Annie and Hitch scampered away from the light with a hiss. The dark, shadow-like arms retreat back into nothingness and Mikasa's gaze was blinded as the voice filled her ears again.

"Mikasa!"

She squinted her eyes, but then they bolted open again and in front of her she saw Eren, standing and talking with Levi. Her hand flew up to her hair, and she felt her long locks between her fingers again, and she realized that what she had been witnessing before— _whatever_ _that_ _fucking_ _was_ —was just a nightmare.

"Mikasa doesn't need you!"

Mikasa's eyes flittered up to see Levi, practically yelling at Eren. Mikasa cringed, and she wondered how the hell she slept through the first part of Levi and Eren's encounter.

"I was just talking with her about the-"

"I don't want to hear it! You've slept with her and gotten her suspended! Mind giving me a reason why I shouldn't kick you out and ban you from this household forever!" Levi yelled.

"No, you don't understand. If you just listen-"

"I don't want to hear your drivel!"

"But, sir-"

"Stop!"

Levi and Eren's mouths snapped shut, and both of their heads turned to Mikasa. She hadn't needed to scream to gather their attention, she could've done just that by speaking at a reasonable level, but watching her brother and her lover argue (although Levi was arguing more than Eren) made her anxious and she spoke in the spur of the moment. But there, that's it, she got their attention and now they were staring right at her.

"Mika?" Levi said.

"Levi, please." Mikasa sat up, slowly. "Please stop yelling at Eren."

"What? But Mikasa, he got you _suspended_. Why is he even here?" Levi asked, cocking a brow.

"No, you don't understand. It wasn't _his_ fault, it was someone else's. We got them to admit, so please, _please,_ don't be mad at him." Mikasa explained. Levi gave her a look of uncertainty after before he shifted his gaze to land back on Eren and, much to Mikasa's dismay, his gaze didn't soften.

"That doesn't change the fact that you still snuck out to his house late at night. And had sex with him." Levi said, narrowing his eyes. "Regardless of whether the video was his fault if not, I still don't think he's a good influence on you."

Mikasa's eyes widened in horror. "But-"

"No, Mika." Levi snapped, and Mikasa clamped her mouth shut. "I don't want you to see this man anymore."

Terror filled Mikasa's eyes as her throat tightened. No... not again... she doesn't want to be separated from him again.

"And you," Levi glared at Eren, "get out of my house right now."

Eren stiffened, passing Mikasa a concerned look before he sighed. "Right, of course..." he muttered, deflating as he walked past Levi and to the front door. Levi waited until the door shut before he turned to Petra, who Mikasa had failed to notice was behind him that entire time.

"We need to talk," Petra told Levi, agitation in her voice. "Meet me upstairs later."

And with that, she made her way up the stairs, clearly upset, as she held her disgusting tea in her hand. Levi turned back to Mikasa, his gaze finally softening.

"Mika, you know I care about you. I only want you to be happy, and I wouldn't have sent Eren away if I knew that he made you happy." Levi insisted, his tone now gentle and calm, in contrast to his prior tone, which was harsh and scolding.

"He _does_ make me happy." Mikasa then insisted. "Levi, you don't understand. I don't think you ever will."

And with that, Mikasa shook her head and stood up, arms clutched to her chest as if she were cold. Levi parted his lips to call out to her, but when he saw the tears that began to rim her eyes as she made her way up the stairs, he clamped his mouth shut and watched her disappear behind a corner instead.

He sighed, turning around and facing the shelf in the living room. There, he could see a couple of their old family pictures when they were children and their parents were alive, and he saw how Mikasa smiled so brightly in one where she was 8.

He remembered when the picture was taken, and it was on her eighth birthday, where she was initially sad when the day began. He couldn't remember exactly why she was in a bad mood, but he did remember how she instantly cheered up after their father had told her something that made her smile and giggle for the rest of the day.

Levi's heart warmed at the memory of their father, but then he frowned. He turned to a photo with his parents and himself and Mikasa, and pointed in his father's face, then shifted his finger to land on his mother's face.

"What are you two doing that I'm not? Why isn't she happy like she was when you were here?" He asked vainly since he knew he wouldn't receive any answers. A lump formed in his throat, and he swallowed hard to dissolve it before speaking again. "What am I doing wrong?"


	31. Dinner

"You see why she doesn't tell you anything now?"

Those were the first words that dribbled from Petra's lips when Levi walked into his bedroom. She sat on his bed, her disgusting tea on the bedside table, and she stared at him her eyes are narrowed. She gave him a look of both agitation and disappointment.

"What?" He asked back, confused as he shuts his bedroom door.

"You don't consider her feelings. She's happy with him, can't you see? She was desperately trying to defend him too." Petra said, crossing her arms.

Levi cocked a brow, reciprocating Petra's action and crossing his arms too. "What are you suggesting?"

"Levi, how dense can you be? She loves him." Petra said simply.

"No," Levi shook his head, "that's ridiculous. He-"

"He didn't post the video, Levi." Petra cut him off. "Listen to your sister. He said that he didn't do it, and Mikasa believes him. Give him a chance and hear him out. If not for him then for your sister." Petra insisted.

Levi stared at her, then sighed and shook his head. He prepared to protest, but then the memory of Mikasa desperately trying to defend Eren flashed through his mind and he held his tongue. He thought for a bit longer about this, then looked up at Petra again and nodded slowly.

"Fine," he muttered begrudgingly, "I'll listen to him. But, I still don't have any intention of forgiving him just yet."

Petra exhaled, drawing her hands back to her side and leaning back against the bed, bracing herself on her hands. "That's fine. As long as you at least talk to him."

Levi slowly made his way over to Petra, sitting down beside her. She didn't move closer to him, nor did she shift away. She just sat there.

Levi sighed. "Babe, please don't let this ruin your mood. Has your headache gone down at least?" He asked, reaching up to caress her cheek. She shied away from him and he dejectedly lowered his hand.

"I'm going to take a cold shower." She said in lieu of responding to his question. She stood up, gulping down the last of her disgusting tea and pulling a face before she began to walk away. "After that, I think I'll go home. I have work tomorrow anyway."

Levi nodded, gaze lowering to the floor as he frowned. "Right."

"Talk to Eren?" Petra said questioningly.

Levi stared at her then pursed his lips together and nodded slowly. "Yeah. I will."

Petra smiled. "Thank you," she said before she left his bedroom and padded down the corridor into the bathroom.

* * *

"I'm sorry that he did that."

"It's okay."

"No, it isn't. He yelled at you and I couldn't-"

"Hey, calm down. It's alright."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, of course. If I was under the impression that some douche fucked my little sister and posted the video online, I would be pissed too."

"Thank you for being so understanding. I just... thank you."

"No problem."

Silence settled between the two teens after that, and Mikasa shifted to get comfortable in her bed before she spoke into the speaker of her phone again.

"What was he saying?" She asked. She was asleep for most of the argument so she couldn't imagine what Levi might've said to Eren.

"He mainly just told me off. Yelled at me and threatened to get a restraining order." Eren admitted with ease.

Mikasa exhaled, stiffening. "My god... I really am sorry, Eren. I would've never invited you over if I knew he'd react like that." She said, apologizing for the umpteenth time during their phone call.

"Mika," Eren's stern voice cut into her anxious frenzy, "calm down."

Mikasa froze, going silent before she exhaled and closed her eyes. She pursed her lips together, inhaling slowly before exhaling that very same breath. "Right. Sor-"

"And stop that." He chuckled lightly. "Apologizing, I mean. It's not your fault."

Mikasa nodded slowly, evening through he couldn't see her throat the phone screen. "Right. Sor- I mean..." her voice trailed off as she tried to think of something else to say in lieu of another pointless apology. She heard Eren laugh lightly on the other end and hearing his laugh right next to her ear filled her with the best shivers she's ever felt before.

"Gosh, I'm terrible at this." Mikasa lightly chided at herself, giggling to herself. The rolled over in her bed again and turned to her side. She could hear Eren shifting as well on the other side too.

"I'm tired," Eren commented.

Mikasa snorted. "It's nearly 4 p.m."

"You're point?" He asked.

Mikasa rolled her eyes, scoffing mirthfully. "Do you do anything productive during the weekends?"

"Eh, not really. Productive days are during the week, weekends are my relaxing time." He said, and he lets out an overdramatic exasperated sigh for emphasis.

"What about homework?" Mikasa asked with a teasing lilt to her tone.

"Homework? What's that?" Eren replied. They both laughed again lightly.

Then, there was a knock at Mikasa's door.

"Oh, someone's at my bedroom door," Mikasa said. She shifted and sat up in bed, Eren still on call with her. She swung the door open and when she saw Levi on the other side, she instantly frowned. She made sure to put her phone on mute before she spoke up. "What do you want Levi?"

Levi sighed, looking at Mikasa for a few seconds before he spoke. "Mika... we should talk," he said.

Mikasa shook her head, opened her mouth to protest, but then clamped it shit when she found herself agreeing with him. Yes, they did need to talk, just not now.

"Levi, I don't think-"

"It's about Eren." Levi cut her off.

All prior thoughts of protesting ceased to linger in Mikasa's mind the second Levi mentioned Eren. Levi noticed Mikasa's sudden interest when he mentioned the boy, making him sigh.

"So, you're interested in him." He said.

Mikasa bit her bottom lip, eyes lowering to the floor as she couldn't bring herself to lie. When her gaze lowered, she saw her phone which was still in her hand, reminding her that she was on the phone with Eren.

Without warning Levi, Mikasa brought her phone up to her lips and took herself off mute. "I'll call you back," she said before hanging up and giving Levi her undivided attention.

"Petra talked to me before she left and told me to... well, listen to you guys. So, I was thinking that maybe today we could go to his house and talk with him. I already called his mom since we work at the same place and she agreed to have us over for dinner." He said.

Mikasa's eyes widened. "T-Today? We're going over for dinner today?"

Levi nodded, "yes, at 7. Be ready by 6:50 so we can leave."

Mikasa bit her bottom lip to suppress the smile that threatened to stretch across her face. She would see Eren again today, and Levi would hear them out. Maybe, if they played their cards right, Levi might not only forgive, but also start to trust Eren.

"You hear that?" Levi asked, noticing how Mikasa suddenly fell silent. Mikasa nodded vigorously, unable to contain her smile.

"Yeah, I'll be ready." She said.

"Alright," he said, and with that, he began to walk away.

Mikasa closed the door, smiling madly as she looked at her phone to see a notification pop up from Eren.

Eren 💗  
u good?

Her smile widened as she typed out her response.

Me  
yah. And also, I'm coming over at 7 ;)

She watched her phone screen dim before it lit up again with another notification.

Eren 💗  
Oh.  
Okay.  
See you then 😉

Mikasa shut her phone off with a smile so bright it could devastate the sun.

* * *

"Eren!"

Upon hearing his name, Eren hopped out of bed and to the front of his room. He opened the door and went to the stairwell, peering downstairs.

"Yeah, mom?" He called back, knowing that his mom was downstairs.

"We're having the neighbors come over today, the Ackermans who live next door. Levi said he wanted to speak with you and I invited them over for dinner!" She called back from the kitchen.

From what Eren could hear, she was already beginning to prep some food for later that evening. He could hear the fridge open, as well as the sound of shuffling footsteps and the stove turning on.

"I know, Mikasa just told me!" He said. He started to walk downstairs as he said this, walking into the kitchen to see that his mother was wearing a cooking apron with her hair up in a bun and out of her face.

"Need help cooking?" He asked.

"Yes, but can you vacuum first?" His mother asked, taking out a large bowl and an electric hand-mixer.

"Sure thing," he said, walking into the laundry room where they kept their vacuum. He grabbed it and rolled it out to the living room, plugging it into an outlet. "They're coming at 7, right?" He asked.

"Yup, so let's try to be ready by then," his mom replied.

After she spoke, Eren turned on the vacuum and did what his mother asked of him. After completing vacuuming the living room, he swept the dining room floor before he joined his mother in the kitchen. She was already done with her first dish so she simply asked him to keep an eye on the chicken in the oven as she started the dishes.

The duo was swift and quick and by the time 6:30 rolled around, the house smelled wonderfully of food and spices. Eren's mother ushered her son upstairs to change as she finished the final preparations and by the time he finished changing, he went downstairs to see his mother on the phone.

"Okay, dear. I understand," she muttered into the speaker, clearly not wanting Eren to hear. "I love you," she murmured before hanging up.

"Was that Dad?" Eren asked. His mom turned around and he could see a bit of solemnity in her eyes.

"Yes, he won't be home until later this evening," she admitted.

"So not during dinner, then," Eren presumed. Judging by the silence that followed, he knew the answer was yes. He sighed, but when the doorbell rang and echoed into the kitchen his mother jumped to attention and rushed to the door.

She swung it open and on the other side stood Mikasa and Levi, clad in casual-formal clothing. Levi wore black fitted jeans and a white, long sleeve shirt, over it being a grey sweater vest.

"Ah, you're here just in time!" Eren heard his mother announce cheerfully right before she invited them in.

"Thank you for having us, Carla," Levi said back, a sense of formality in his tone since, at his place of work, Eren's mom was his superior and he couldn't get rid of the formalities that easily.

"It's good to see you again, Mikasa," Carla said, a cheeky grin stretching across her face.

Mikasa felt color rise to her cheeks when she suddenly remembered that the last time Eren's mother had seen her, she was just about finished making out with her son. "I-It's good to see you too, Mrs. Jeager," Mikasa stammered a bit.

They entered the kitchen, and when Mikasa's eyes landed on Eren's figure, she instantly blushed. He wore khakis and a navy blue button-up, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and exposing his tan forearms. His usually unkempt brown hair was smoothed back with hair gel, a few tendrils sticking out in all the right places to make him look all the more attractive. Needless to say, he looked good. He looked really good.

"Eren and I just finished dinner. You two can take a seat in there," Carla gestured to the dining room, where a large mahogany dining table was, "while we bring out the food."

"Okay," Levi said, walking towards the dining room. Mikasa looked at Eren before following her older brother, trying to catch his eye. When Eren finally looked over to her, his emerald eyes slowly slid down her figure to view her outfit which consisted of a baby blue fitted sweater dress, that hugged all of her curves and accentuating the curvature of her hips and plumpness to her breasts.

She passed him a flirtatious wink before she followed in her brother's wake, only managing to catch a glimpse of the slight reddening to Eren's cheeks before she disappeared into the dining room.

Eren cleared his throat after Mikasa left, as though clearing his airways would hinder the blush that colored his cheeks, and spun around so that he was facing the kitchen counter and his mother couldn't catch his blush.

But she already knew. Carla could see it in the way Mikasa stared at Eren when she walked in; the way her eyes widened a fraction and her cheeks flushed red.

It wouldn't take a genius to assume that Eren would be blushing too.

"You can bring out the drinks," Carla offered, biting back her smirk, trying to spare her son the embarrassment as she walked towards the pot of stew.

"Okay," Eren muttered in response, obliging as he grabbed two water bottles and headed towards the dining room. The minute Levi set his eyes on him, Eren felt himself stiffen.

"D-Do you want any drinks?" Eren stammered out.

"A black tea would be fine," Levi murmured out, refusing to look up at the boy.

"I'll take water," Mikasa said, although she shot Levi a quick glare for being so dismissive.

"Alright, I'll be back," Eren said, placing down the two water bottles down in front of the two vacant seats which he and his mother would be occupying before disappearing back into the kitchen.

When he was gone, Mikasa groaned. "Levi, you said you'd listen to him," Mikasa said.

"I will!" Levi shot back.

"But you're being rude," Mikasa said.

Levi grunted. Never in his life did he expect to be scolded by his younger sister about manners, yet there he was.

"Fine, sorry," he grunted out.

Mikasa prepared to speak again, but then quickly decided against it. It would do nobody any pleasure if she and her brother were to argue in someone else's house.

Plus, he hasn't been that mean yet. Maybe that dinner wouldn't be that bad.

She hoped.


	32. Everything's Perfect

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay so originally I _was_ going to include the dinner scene but the I realized that it was just a bunch of boring dialogue so I decided to skip it. Sorry if you were really looking forward to that scene, I just didn't want to write it that much. If you really want me to write it tho and I get bombarded with requests then maybe I'll reconsider.

"Thank you for having us over, Carla," Levi said. During their dinner, he had managed to drop the formalities and get a little more comfortable around Carla. He also learned the truth about the video—that Eren was never the one who posted the video and that it was actually some random student who sent the video to Annie and Hitch.

After hearing the truth and enjoying a wonderful mean prepared by Carla and Eren, Levi came to the conclusion that he needed to go down to Mikasa's school. So he and Carla made a plan; go to Mikasa and Eren's school tomorrow, talk to the principal and try to figure everything out.

"Tomorrow at 11?" Levi asked for confirmation he was led towards the door.

Carla nodded. "Yup, at 11am," she says. She turns towards the stairwell, then hollers, "Eren!"

The sounds they heard next were footsteps, feminine giggling, then a door swinging open. "Yeah, mom?" Eren's voice hailed out.

"It's time for Mikasa to leave!" She called back.

Eren turned to Mikasa who sat on his bed in his room, nodding towards the stairwell. During the midst of dinner, Carla requested to speak with Levi privately, sending the two teens upstairs, although she told Eren to keep his door open. Not that he listened anyways—he shut the door the minute he found himself peppering kisses along Mikasa's neck.

But now it was time for her to leave, and Mikasa slowly rose off of Eren's bed and passed him a flirtatious wink before skipping down the stairs. Eren followed behind her, the nape of his neck burning up as color rose to his face.

They were just in the midst of making out—how did Mikasa seem to level?

"Thank you for the dinner, Mrs. Jeager. It was delicious," Mikasa said with a smile.

"Anytime, Mikasa. Know that you are always welcomed back in this house," Carla said through her smirk. Mikasa flushed bright red—imagining all the _other things_ that might transpire if she were in Eren's room again, _alone_.

"We'll be on our way now," Levi said, slipping his shoes on. Mikasa walked towards the door, stepping into her sandals and opening the door.

"Of course. Take care," Carla said as they stepped outside, offering them one last wave before the door shut.

Carla turned to Eren and he swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing when he saw his mother's mischievous smirk.

"I hope you two didn't do anything when you closed your door even though I told you to keep it open," Carla suggested with a cocked brow.

"O-Of course not," Eren said, shaking his head. His face was turning warm and Carla tittered.

"Go to bed," she said with a smirk. "You've got school tomorrow."

Eren nodded, forcing out a smile that wavered on his lips. "O-Okay. Goodnight, Mom."

"Night, Eren," Carla replied, walking into the kitchen. Eren exhaled in relief as he slowly mounted the stairs and went back to his bedroom.

At the Ackerman household, Mikasa was doing the same—mounting the stairs to go to her room—when Levi called out to her. She paused mid-step and turned to face her brother, grabbing onto the railing so that she didn't lose her balance.

"Hey, look, I want to apologize," Levi began, eyes flitting to everywhere in the open space but Mikasa. "Sorry I yelled at Eren and at you too. But, I believe him now and we're gonna do something about it."

Mikasa stared at Levi before she smiled softly, her grip tightening on the railing ever-so-slightly. "Thank you," she breathed. "All I ever wanted was for you to believe us."

Levi nodded, then shrugged. "Well, go to bed now," he said, turning away. "You have school tomorrow."

Mikasa snorted at her brother's behavior. He never was good when it came to being affectionate. She wondered, sometimes, how Petra managed to love his moody behavior.

"Okay, Levi. Goodnight," Mikasa said before she made her way up the stairs.

Levi grunted out an incoherent response as Mikasa disappeared into her bedroom to change clothing. When she locked her bedroom door, she grabbed the ends of her dress and lifted it off her body. Then, she went to her dresser for her pajamas when, in her mirror, she saw a swollen, red mark right on her collarbone where Eren had been sucking on.

She blushed, thankful that her dress had veiled the hickey, but now she was beet red and unsure of what to do. Suddenly, she had a devious thought and smirked, slipping on only a thin, white robe before she grabbed her phone. She opened her messages, then went to Eren's contact and began to send a message.

 _Me_  
 _Look at what you did_  
[ **image** ]

It was a photo angled towards the bottom of her face as she caught her bottom lip between her teeth, the edges of her lips pulled up onto a mischievous grin. The rest of the photo was from her chin down to her clavicle, where her bright red hickey was exposed in plain sight.

Mikasa waited as a ' _Read 9:59_ ' popped up underneath her message. She grinned, three dots bouncing on the side of the screen where Eren's message would come in before, finally, a response rolled in.

_Eren_ 💗  
 _Oops_  
 _My bad_ 😉  
 _But in my defense, you did quite the number on me too_  
[ **image** ]

Mikasa's eyes went wide as she saw an image come in, a photo of Eren shirtless in a full-body mirror, clad in nothing but his khakis from earlier that day. On his chest, there were multiple red blemishes, and Mikasa blushed as she remembered unbuttoning his shirt and trailing kisses down his chest before he flipped them over and sucked on her collarbone.

_Me_   
_Dang, guess we're both at fault then_   
_Although I did do more damage_   
_Maybe we should meet up sometime so you can settle the score?_

_Eren_ 💗  
 _Ohh I'm down_  
 _How about tomorrow after school? I have something I wanna show you anyway_

_Me_   
_I'm not sure if Levi will approve_

_Eren_ 💗  
 _Then_ _don't tell him_

 _Me_  
...  
 _You're naughty_

 _Eren_ 💗  
 _You're the one who was sucking on my chest today_

_Me_   
_Hey! You enjoyed it!_

_Eren_ 💗  
 _I never said I didn't ;)_

_Me_   
_Ugh you're so..._   
_You're such a..._

_Eren_ 💗  
 _Hot? A cutie?_

_Me_   
_No, a tomcat_

_Eren_ 💗  
 _A tomcat that you fell for ;)_

_Me_   
_UGH! Goodnight Eren!_

_Eren_ 💗  
 _Night cutie <3_

Mikasa turned off her phone, bright red and smiling like an idiot. It always seemed to end like this; she would attempt to be the flirt but end up bright red, flustered, and tongue-tied afterward. She shook her head, as though it would get rid of her blush before she scooted off her bed and exited her room.

She padded down the hall and into the bathroom, ready to start her nightly routine. She had been feeling really discouraged lately, but with Eren back in her life in a more positive manner, she found herself retreating back into healthy routines. For one, she even started to take care of her skin; before, it was all dry and her pores were clogged. Now, she found herself washing her face every night and morning, and now, as she prepared to go to bed, she began to spread aloe vera gel onto her face before she brushed and teeth and went back to her room.

Her phone lit up the moment she shut the door and she immediately walked over to it, picking it up to see a message from Eren. It was a photo of him, in bed, shirtless, with his brown hair tousled atop his head in all of its unruliness glory. Mikasa blushed as she read the caption.

' _Sweet dreams, Mikasa._ '

The winking emoji right after her name, as well as the emoji blowing a kiss at her, was what made her drop her phone onto the bedspread and slap her face where her cheeks had turned bright red again.

* * *

"Mikasa," an older woman's voice called out to the girl, "can you tell me what I just said?"

Mikasa's eyes snapped to her science teacher and she felt color rise to her face, noticing that she had been zoning out during the entirety of her science lesson, preoccupied with staring at the wall clock as the time drew slowly yet steadily closer to 11am.

"Uhm..." Her eyes frantically scanned her surroundings in search of an answer when she looked at the whiteboard and saw something written on it. She squinted her eyes as she read it, "something about... genes?"

Her science teacher scoffed as a few students snickered under their breath. "Next time, Miss Ackerman, you need to pay attention if you want to pass this class." She picked up her textbook, "we're on page 49."

Mikasa nodded, flipping the pages quickly until she reached the aforementioned page. From then on, she tried her best to pay attention during class, but she couldn't help but grow more and more apprehensive as the minute hand ticked every 60 seconds.

10:40... 10:43... 10:48... 10:54...

She nervously gnawed on her bottom lip as the bell rang at 10:55. Everyone began to shove their textbooks and supplies into their bags, a few number of students who hadn't finished their assignment yet scribbling down the last answers onto their papers. Mikasa was part of the former group, quickly shoving everything into her backpack and not caring about the fact that she had crumbled one of her papers in the process of her scrambling.

"Once you're finished cleaning up, you may go," their science teacher called out as she sat down at her desk, flipping open her laptop and typing a few things onto it. "Ackerman," she called out right as Mikasa reached the door, "stay after class."

A few students stared at Mikasa suspiciously at this, not caring that much about what may transpire once they leave but still thirsty for gossip. Hitch, who happened to share this period with Mikasa, snickered as she made her way out the door.

"Looks like the whore's gotten into trouble," she muttered before her figure disappeared behind the doorway.

Mikasa chose to ignore her.

"Why did you want to see me, Ms. Zoë?" Mikasa asked her teacher, although she can't help but continue to stare at the clock.

' _10:59 am, just one more minute,_ ' she thought.

"Ah, yes, well, if you look here you can see that..." Her science teacher continues to type something into her laptop before she finished, turning the screen so that Mikasa can view it too, "your grades have dropped significantly. From an A- to a C."

Mikasa had to pry her eyes away from the clock to the laptop screen to view her grade. Her teacher is right—her grades have seen much better days.

"Is something the matter? Something going on at home or maybe here at school?" Her teacher suddenly asks, leaning back in her chair and swiveling it around so that she's facing Mikasa. Her lips were drawn out into a straight line and Mikasa could see the concern fermenting in her eyes.

Mikasa's heart clenched in her chest and she pursed her lips together. Shit—it's been a while since someone's asked her well-being like this, so long in which she nearly lets the truth just spill out. She wanted to cry, but for all the right reasons—' _No, everything is perfect_ ,' she wanted to say.

Because that's how she felt.

Everything was perfect. Levi was giving Eren a chance, Eren was in Mikasa's life again, and now Annie and Hitch's bullying had subdued because now Mikasa and Eren both know the truth.

Mikasa doesn't know how long she stood there for before she finally replied, and when she did say something, the words didn't register correctly in her head. She knows she must've said _something_ , judging by the fact that her lips were moving and she could feel her breath escaping her as she spoke, but she doesn't know _what_ it is that she said.

Judging by the small smile that crawled onto her teacher's lips, Mikasa could tell that she must've said something that subdued her teacher's worry. "If you say so," her teacher murmured. She opened a drawer then, pulling out a packet that seemed to be around 5 to 7 pages thick. She held it out the Mikasa and the latter slowly took it. "For your grades. Complete this extra credit and submit it on the online website to bring your grade back up. You're a good kid, I'd hate to see you fail."

Mikasa nodded, slipping the packet into her binder which she held in her arms. "Thank you, Ms. Zoë," she said.

Just at that moment, Eren appeared in the classroom doorway. Mikasa looked up at him, surprised by his presence but _pleasantly_ surprised by it.

"Ah, there you are," Eren said through an exhale.

"Jeager, do you need something?" Ms. Zoë asked.

Eren shook his head. "Oh, no. I was just looking for Mikasa," he said, taking a step back.

"It's okay, Eren. I'm done here," Mikasa said, a tiny smile spilling onto her lips. "Thanks for the packet, Ms. Zoë," Mikasa said to her teacher before she made her way to Eren.

Ms. Zoë hummed a response as Mikasa approached Eren. When the two teens were side by side, Mikasa slipped her fingers between his as they began to walk down the hallway, her heart fluttering as they did.

_'Yeah... right now, everything's perfect.'_


	33. She Killed Herself

_Me_   
_Hey Levi, I have a school project to work on so don't expect me home until later today. Save me some dinner tho, thanks_

_Big Bro_   
_Okay... you should've told me before tho. Just be back before curfew._

_Me_   
_Okay, sorry!_

Mikasa slipped her phone back into her pocket the minute a ' _Read 2:18pm'_ popped up underneath her message.

"What'd he say?" Eren asked the girl who sat in the passenger seat of his car, coming to a stop as the traffic light turned red.

"He's fine with it. Just have me back before 9, that's my curfew," Mikasa admitted as she leaned against the window, letting the cold glass touch her skin and send shivers down her spine. "Where are you taking me, anyway?"

"A place where..." Eren began before his voice trailed off. He shook his head, "you'll see when we get there," he murmured.

Mikasa nodded slowly, "okay."

The rest of the 15 minute drive was relatively quiet. Mikasa could feel Eren glancing at her every once in a while, but she couldn't exactly get on him for it since she kept stealing glances at him as well. It's been a while since they've gone out together, and that thought really began to get to Mikasa.

When they dated before, they never really went out either. It was all just movies and hanging out at each other's houses and the occasional dinner date whenever the two saved up enough money (which was rare). It wasn't as though they weren't happy though—sometimes Mikasa enjoyed eating McDonald's that she and Eren snuck into a movie theatre opposed to a fancy night out. But now that Eren was taking Mikasa out somewhere for the first time in a while since their reignited relationship, she can't help but get her hopes up.

Was it getting hotter in there? Mikasa began to fan her shirt against her neck. It was definitely getting hotter—why else would Mikasa suddenly be bright red and flustered?

That was, until Eren pulled up at a cemetery.

Mikasa could feel her face physically drop when Eren pulled up into a graveyard.

"You took me to a... cemetery?" Mikasa asked, completely aghast. All the previous heat she was feeling dispersed immediately.

"Ah, you make it sound so horrible," Eren said as he unbuckled. He wore a smile, but it was awkward and forced.

"Well, uhh..." Mikasa looked down, "never mind." She hated how bitter she sounded—she could tell that Eren could hear it too.

She unbuckled her seatbelt and left her backpack in the car as she exited it. It was cold there—the sudden breeze that blew by had Mikasa shivering and it didn't take long for Eren to remove his jacket and give it to the girl before he led her inside the graveyard. She clung to the coat around her shoulders as she walked through the dirt before Eren stopped at a particular grave.

"Here," he said.

Mikasa looked up. There was a tombstone with flowers on the lump of dirt on the ground, the tombstone cracked and shabby. It's been here for a while, Mikasa could tell, but why did Eren take her here?

During the silence, Mikasa took the liberty of reading the text on the tombstone.

"'Here Lies Mina Carolina. Loving Daughter and Friend to all,'" Mikasa murmured.

She heard Eren inhale slowly and when she turned to him, there were tears swimming in his eyes. He quickly blinked them away, but he was still obviously solemn.

"She was a friend of mine. Well, more than a friend," Eren said. "I loved her but... she commit suicide because of me."

Mikasa looked at Eren worriedly. "Oh, Eren," she mused, raising a hand and resting it on his shoulder.

"Remember how I was a fuckboy? Well, I did something stupid and I played with her heart. She was already dealing with depression so when I broke her heart, I guess that was the final straw. God, I was such an idiot," Eren grunted out. He sounded so frustrated—Mikasa could tell that his frustration was for himself.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered, unsure of how else to console him. She rubbed a hand along his back and felt his back quiver.

"She stopped my playboy days. I don't want to be that guy anymore, I don't want to break your heart, Mika," he said as he turned to her, voice wavering. The tears were back in his eyes now but as he tried to blink them away, they began to fall. "I'm sorry," he muttered as he wiped them away.

Mikasa grabbed his hand and lowered it, watching the tears fall. "Don't be. It's okay, you're allowed to cry," she said as she hooked her arms under his and pulled him into her. She hugged him, he hugged back, and she felt his silent cries rake his body.

It must've been so long since he's thought back to this girl, and hearing him cry brought tears to Mikasa's eyes. She squeezed him tighter and he squeezed her back. He needed this and Mikasa would let him have it.

"Hey," Mikasa said softly, slowly pulling away from him as she cupped his face, "don't worry. You won't break my heart, I trust you." She used the pad of her thumb to wipe his tears away. "I love you."

Eren smiled weakly back at her, putting his hands over hers. "And I love you too," he said as he brought one of her hands to his lips, kissing the knuckles. Mikasa couldn't help but blush at the gesture before pulling him down and connecting their lips. His lips tasted of salt but they were still as soft as ever and Mikasa's lips danced with his.

He was still crying, his tears falling onto Mikasa's cheeks, but she didn't care. They separated, both breathing heavy and lips swollen, when Mikasa turned to the grave. She walked around the hump of dirt and touched the top of the tombstone, smiling.

"Mina, I don't really know who you are or what you look like, but," she looked at Eren who tried to hold back his tears, "you seem to be important to Eren. So... thank you, I hope you can see how much better he's become because of you, wherever you are now."

A dam in Eren's chest burst—the image of Mikasa standing in front of him next to Mina's grave went blurry with tears as he let out a tiny whimper. If this were Eren two years ago, he would've chided himself for exposing such a weak part of himself to a girl, but because this is Eren _now_ and that girl who he's exposing himself to is _Mikasa_ , he couldn't care less.

Mikasa walked back over to him and kissed his cheek. She let him hold her again before they finally broke away, Eren's sobbing subsiding and cheeks tears stained.

"Th-Thank you," he said, voice cracking.

"Don't thank me, Eren. I love you, and thank you for sharing this with me," Mikasa said. She laced their fingers together. "Come on, let's go back to the car, it's getting cold."

Eren stared at the grave for a little longer before he nodded, walking back to the car with Mikasa. He expected her to go to the passenger seat, but instead she led them to the backseat. Eren prepared to question her but she silenced him with her lips before she and him both got into the backseat. He sat there and Mikasa sat there and then she laid him down onto her chest and let him curl up into her, wrapping an arm around him.

"I have faith in you," she whispered, kissing his forehead, "and I trust you," a kiss to his cheek, "and you will never break my heart," a kiss under his eye, "because I love you."

She ended it with a kiss to his lips and he kissed back. He loved this. She loved this. They continued to kiss before Eren shifted so that she was lying down underneath him in the backseat of the car, smothering her with kisses.

"I love you too," he murmured. He leaned down and kissed her neck.

Mikasa bit back a moan, her hands going up to his head of hair. She sighed pleasantly as he bit at her skin before she pried her fingers off of his head and down his body to cup his crotch.

Mikasa's movements halted as Eren hissed when Mikasa touched him down there.

 _Oh_.

He's hard.

She blushed.

He groaned.

This was _perfect_.

"Eren," Mikasa exhaled, bringing her hand up to caress his cheek, "do you want this?" The look Eren gave her was so unreadable it nearly frightened her, but then Mikasa saw him blush and she smiled.

"I do, but... do you?" Eren lowered himself onto her and kissed her cheek. In the process of lowering his body, his hips brushed up against hers and it had him catching his bottom lip between his teeth.

"Y-Yes," Mikasa stuttered as their hips brushed up against each other, "I do. I really this."

Her words were confirmation enough because then, Eren rocked his hips down against hers. Just once.

He groaned and Mikasa sighed pleasantly. She pushed her hand against his lower back, wanting them to connect again, and Eren quickly caught on. He found himself grinding his hips against hers and Mikasa moaned into his ear as he began to nibble at the skin on her neck again.

"W-Wait," she breathed out. Eren's hips stuttered at they came to a slow stop and he raised his head to look at her, looking downright terrified that maybe he did something wrong.

"Wh-What, what is it?" He asked. He quickly pulled away from her, sitting up. "I-I'm sorry."

"No, Eren, it wasn't anything bad," Mikasa said, "don't apologize."

"Are you sure?" His blush slowly faded away. His arousal was fading away as quickly as his blush was.

"I-It wasn't bad. It's just..." Mikasa leaned over to him, sitting up, "I don't think we'd be comfortable lying down here. Since it's so cramped."

Eren's blush was quickly returning. "Then... what do you suggest we do?"

Mikasa bit her bottom lip as she tugged at his sweats, pulling them down in the process. "I should... do this..." she answered breathily, tugging at the waistband of his boxers once his sweats were out of the way. She peered up at him, as if for confirmation, and he gave her a simple nod in solidarity.

Eren didn't know where this was going, but he definitely liked it.

Slowly, Mikasa freed his penis before staring at it. It seemed to stiffen under her gaze and Eren was aching for her touch.

But instead of touching him, like Eren thought she would've done, Mikasa lifted her hips off of the seat and pulled her jeans and panties down in one go. Then, she pulled her blouse over her head and unclipped her bra, discarding her apparel to the side of the car before she leaned over Eren and mounted atop his lap.

"W-Wait." Eren grabbed onto her hips to stop her movement, leaving them in a weird position with Mikasa butt-naked and hovering inches above his cock. "Are you sure you want this?" Eren looked up at her.

Mikasa nodded, reaching down to rub her exposed clit. "Yes, Eren. I do," she confirmed for what seemed like the umpteenth time.

Eren exhaled. "Okay," he murmured, releasing her hips.

Mikasa looked down at his length, holding it in her hand and aligning it with her entrance before she sunk down onto him. She stopped at a few inches, inhaling slowly to steady her breaths so that she wouldn't get too loud before she lowered herself onto the rest of him.

She let out a whimper, leaning forward and wrapping her arms around him, clinging onto him.

"Shit," she breathed, burying her face into the crook of Eren's neck.

"You okay?" Eren asked, his hands grabbing onto her hips.

Mikasa nodded against him. She needed a quick distraction from the discomfort she felt, so she lowered her hands and pulled on Eren's shirt, removing it swiftly and exposing his tan chest. "Y-Yeah. Just give me a moment," she murmured.

That moment was probably a minute long, but to Eren, it seemed like an eternity. He wanted to thrust in and out of her already, but he knew that Mikasa needed time if she didn't want to hurt herself.

"I-I'm.." She didn't even finish her statement before she rolled her hips on his. Mikasa sucked in a large breath that shuddered her chest, refraining from cussing as Eren hissed, low and soft.

This continued.

Mikasa would roll against him, moaning as her breathing became labored as she continued to hold onto Eren tightly.

She's not sure why, but this felt wrong—whenever she would see videos from... other sources online, there was a lot of rising and falling rapidly. But here, Mikasa only rolled her hips slowly, and there was a lot of grinding and rutting and rocking her hips together with his than anything else. But at least they still felt good—Mikasa was suddenly clinging onto Eren so tightly in which his voice was right next to her ear and she could hear him moaning under his breath.

Eren turned his head to bury it into the car seat, groaning into it. He ground his teeth together, refraining from thrusting into Mikasa with no relent.

But then, for the first time in what seemed like forever, Mikasa rose slowly and lowered herself onto Eren's cock, and Eren—back arching, his neck curving, showing every tendon, every flinching muscle—said, "Fuck."

Mikasa didn't know if she could form any coherent words whilst feeling so full, but she managed, in a gasp, rising up on his cock again, to utter, "Like it?"

"Fuck, Mika—Mikasa. Go slow," Eren groaned. Mikasa cocked a brow, pulling away from him and tilting her head innocently (fuck, he hated how innocent she looked).

"Why? Don't you like it? I doubt that." She slammed herself down onto him, harder this time, and bit down on her tongue to suppress the whimpered that's climbed up her throat.

"I love it. B-But... shit, I won't be able to hold back." Eren threw his head back, feeling Mikasa ascend again.

"Then don't," she murmured, leaning toward his ear, " _please_ , Eren," she practically whined.

Eren grit out a moan through his teeth, grabbing onto Mikasa's hips and thrusting upward sharply. Mikasa let out a whimper, face flushing bright red at his sudden action. Her legs tucked on either side of his hips, Eren gripped onto her thighs, his nails digging into her skin, although Mikasa didn't care. She'll take a shower later today and see the red marks along her thigh and blush in remembrance.

"Fuckfuckfuck," Eren hissed out, positioning his hips differently to hit her at a new angle. Mikasa's response to his shift was a breathless cry of pleasure which only coaxed his movements to be faster. She grabbed onto her own breast, fondling with the milky mound of skin and picking at her pink nipples.

With each thrust, Eren pulled out a moan from Mikasa which had his pace increasing in speed until he was fucking her like a wild animal, so quick in which Mikasa found herself struggling to keep up. They began to lose themselves to anything that isn't fucking each other, now-frantically making sounds of ultimate pleasure—both wanting so badly to let the other drive them over the edge of orgasm as they, in turn, allowed the other to do the same.

So they did.

A screamed ripped from Mikasa's throat—a high noise that surged out of her in uneven burst—but she didn't find herself registering it leaving her as it did. She came with a chest shuddering, toe-curling, nose scrunching, cry, and her hand dropped from where it gripped onto her breast to rub those circles along her clit again. Her thighs quivered as her orgasm ripped through her, sweat dribbling down her forehead in beads, and as she squeezed her eyelids shut, starts and moons and planets burst in the darkness of her eyelids. She let out a sigh as she finished, leaning, boneless, against Eren.

"M-Mikasa," Eren exhaled, "Igottapullout," he murmured, words slurring together.

Mikasa nodded wordlessly, lifting herself off of Eren languidly and shivering as his cock left her. Eren lowered his hand, ready to pump himself and finish the job when Mikasa suddenly grabbed his wrist.

"No, let me," she insisted, and with a quick swoop of her head, she wrapped her lips around his rock hard shaft. She wrapped her fingers around the base and Eren groaned as Mikasa sucked, dragging her tongue up and down his length, leaving a trail of spit in her wake to cool on his cock.

She spat.

Eren's eyes went wide as he watched Mikasa spit into the palm of her hand before she wrapped it around his penis again, stroking it up and down and rubbing her thumb along the slit when she reached the top.

"F-Fuck, Mikasa," Eren groaned. Mikasa put her mouth over his member again, sucking on it so much in which her own saliva began to pool at the edges of her lips and trickle down her chin.

Eren threw his head back again. He grabbed onto Mikasa's head, lacing his fingers through her hair and thrusting upward. Mikasa gagged and Eren muttered an apology under his breath, but Mikasa only nodded and made a noise in solidarity.

Eren inhaled sharply as he thrust into her mouth again. He was so close, and with just a few erratic thrusts he found himself groaning as he released his load into Mikasa's mouth, pulling out just at the near-end which resulted in his cum spilling onto her face as well as her clavicle.

"S-Sorry," he breathed. Mikasa shook her head, swallowing the semen in her mouth.

"It's fine," she said, swiping daintily with her finger to wipe away at the semen that began to drip down her breast.

"Ah, shit, it went everywhere." Eren leaned forward and grabbed the bunch of Taco Bell napkins from the driver's seat tucked in the side-door compartment.

Mikasa murmured her thanks, wiping the cum off her face as Eren began to pull his boxers back on. When she was done, Mikasa slipped on her pair of panties again and leaned back in the backseat of his car.

Somehow, they found themselves in the same position with Mikasa leaning back and Eren curled up into her with her arm around his figure, although now the only thing they wore were their undergarments.

"Hey, Eren," Mikasa began, breaths slowing and steadying.

Eren hummed in response.

"Thank you... for bringing me out here and telling me about Mina. It must've been hard for you," she murmured.

"You're welcome," he said in reply as he peered up at her.

They shared one more kiss, this one more chaste the others they'd shared that day, as they curled up into each other and let their eyes flutter shut.

And they fell asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter may or may not have just been an excuse for me to write smut but it's been a cool minute since I've written EreMika smut with all the feels so LeT mE hAvE tHiS oKaY.


	34. A Future

If Mikasa had a project to work on, she should've at least told him earlier, right?

Levi tched, deciding not to dwell on the though as he slipped his phone back into his back pocket. He raised his hand, ringing the doorbell to the house upon him, and it wasn't long before the front door swung open.

"Ah, Mr. Ackerman. It's good to see you," the male who had opened the door said. "I wasn't expecting you."

"I just wanted to come by... is Petra around?"

Mr. Ral turned back into his house. "Yes, she's around all right. Why do you need her?" He asked, turning back to Levi.

"I need to see her. Work purposes," Levi said.

Mr. Ral cocked a brow in suspicion before he opened the door wider and stepped out of the way, gesturing for Levi to enter. "Come in. I'll call her for you."

Levi murmured his thanks, stepping inside and removing his shoes as he entered the large home. He looked up and around, admiring the large home with a slack mouth. This house was large enough for a family of 6, yet only two people live here.

"I'll be one moment," Mr. Ral said before he walked past Levi and surged upstairs. Levi nodded, although Mr. Ral was already gone when he did so, and he took a small step forward. The house smelt wonderful—Levi couldn't tell if it was because of some recently made food, if it was because of the candles along the top of the bookshelf, or if the house just naturally smelt this good.

It didn't take long for Mr. Ral to descend the steps and Levi eagerly looked behind the man as he walked down. When he failed to spot Petra, Levi couldn't help but frown.

"She'll be down in a minute. But anyway, how have you been, Levi? It's been a while since we've talked, hasn't it," Mr. Ral said.

Levi nodded. "Yes, it has. I've been good."

"How's life at home? You find a wife or a girlfriend yet?"

Levi peered at Mr. Ral curiously before it dawned on him.

Oh.

_Oh._

_'Petra never told him that we were... that we're a thing...'_ Levi thought. He didn't exactly know if he should feel hurt or offended or find this funny because he found himself tied between the three.

He quickly cleared his throat when he realized hat he had gone silent. "Uhm, yes. I have," he decided on saying with a nod, and he couldn't help but let a tiny smile tug at his lips as Petra's smiling face popped into his mind.

"Ah, that's good." Mr. Ral turned towards the stairs when he found himself struggling to create new conversation. He craned his neck to peer up the steps and squinted his eyes in search of Petra. "Where is that girl?"

"I'm sure she won't take too..." Levi's voice trailed off when he sees Petra at the top of the stairs, "long," he finished, sounding preoccupied as he watched Petra descend from the steps. She wore a sundress that fell to her knees, being white in color with a floral pattern printed on it. Although what she wore was very simple, it still had Levi's heart racing.

"Ah, Petra. There you are. Levi wanted to talk with you," Mr. Ral said. "I'll be in the kitchen if you need me," he said before walking away.

Levi watched his retreating back before he turned to Petra again.

"You look... really good," he spat out, breathless.

Petra tittered at the blush that made its way onto Levi's face. "Thank you," she murmured as she stepped down the final step. "Shall we go?"

Levi nodded. "We sha-" He quickly cut himself off when a sudden thought came to his mind. The thought had him turning around as if searching their surroundings and when he noted that they were alone, he turned back to Petra.

"What is it?" Petra asked.

"Well... what about your dad?" Levi murmured quietly.

Petra cocked a brow. "What do you mean?"

"I mean," Levi groaned as he ran a hand down his face. "Aren't you going to tell him that we're going out? And that we've been going out for the past eight months?"

Petra looked at him, shocked as a little blush crawled onto her cheeks. "I-I..." she stammered, looking down. "I didn't know you knew."

"No, what's important is that _he_ doesn't know," Levi replied.

Petra bit her lip and looked down before she exhaled, nodding her head. "Okay," she looked up at Levi, "then let's tell him now."

She quickly led Levi to the kitchen where her father said that he'd be and they found him by the oven, opening it and peering inside.

"Dad," Petra began, "I have something to tell you."

Mr. Ral turned around and looked at Petra. "Oh, sure thing, Sweetie," he said as he walked to the oven mitts on the table. He slipped both of them on as he walked back towards the oven.

Petra looked at Levi and he gave her an encouraging nod before she turned back to him. "I-I... I have a boyfriend."

Mr. Ral took a tray out of the oven and put it on the kitchen island before he slipped his glove off. He smirked a bit, letting out a tiny laugh through his nose. "Yeah, it's pretty obvious, Sweetie. You're always on your phone at night and going out somewhere with some guy."

Petra's mouth popped open as her brows rose incredulously. "You know?"

"Of course I know! Your old man still notices these things, ya'know?" He said.

Petra looked at Levi again only from him to just nod at her again. She sighed, nodding back and turning to her father. "W-Well... the guy who I'm dating... i-it's Levi."

Mr. Ral's movements came to an abrupt stop and before he turned to Petra. Now, it was his turn to look incredulous as his hand dropped to the kitchen counter, although instead of landing on the surface of the kitchen island it landed atop the tray and he hissed and pulled his hand back.

Petra quickly rushed over to her father. "Oh my gosh. Are you okay?" She asked as she walked up to his scorched hand. There was a nasty burn on his hand now and Petra cringed when she saw it. "Levi," she turned to her boyfriend, "can you get me some ice?"

Levi nodded, going over to the freezer and taking out the ice tray. He popped one piece of ice out from the silicone tray before he handed it to Petra and she put a towel over it and placed it atop the burn on her father's hand.

Her father sucked in a sharp breath through his teeth before he looked up at Petra and Levi. His eyes kept switching between the two before he finally landed his gaze back on his daughter. "You... and Levi?"

Petra nodded sheepishly and lowered her gaze. She was preparing herself for a scolding, but then her father laughed awkwardly. "Wow. I never would've expected it. But... if you're happy..."

Petra's head snapped up to meet her father's gaze. She looked so hopeful now. "You mean it?" She asked, suddenly breathless.

He nodded. "And as long as he's treating you right," he muttered, eyeing Levi warningly.

"Yes, he has." Petra smiled and looked at Levi. "He has been for the past eight months of our relationship..." she muttered.

"Then, I'm happy for you." He nodded to Levi. "And I bet you're gonna tell me that you're leaving with him too, right?"

Petra's nodded. "If that's okay with you, of course."

Mr. Ral turned to the sink, turning the cold water and running it over his burn. "I'll be fine. Go off hand have fun."

Petra smiled again, a smile so wide in which it had Levi reciprocating it, although his was much smaller. "Thank you," she said.

And with that, she took Levi's hand into hers and led him to the front door. She called out one more goodbye to his father before she left the house with Levi and went to his car.

When they were settled in Levi's vehicle, Petra smiled and leaned over the passenger seat to kiss Levi's cheek. It was chaste and so quick in which Levi hardly noticed it.

But he still did.

"Huh? What was that for?" He asked, turning to Petra.

"I don't know," she murmured. "I just feel really happy."

Levi watched as Petra happily hummed before she put on her seatbelt. He smiled again, buckling himself up and starting the car engine up. He pulled out of the driveway and drove with one hand, the other hand being held by his girlfriend as he drove back to his home.

* * *

Mikasa was the first to wake up. Her eyelids slowly fluttered opened as she stirred, bracing herself up on her elbows from where she laid and exhaling softly at the ache in her back from sleeping in such an uncomfortable manner.

Slowly, she tilted her head and looked toward the front seat where her phone was, also noticing that the sun had started to set outside. She grabbed her handheld to view the time and squinted her eyes at the bright screen until she adjusted to the light to see that it was 8pm.

She sighed, shifting where she laid to get comfortable to no avail. It was late, she should get home or else Levi would worry. She shifted again, but still couldn't get comfortable. There was something heavy on her... what the hell?

She sat up quickly when she realized what was on top of her. In fact, it wasn't even a what, but a _who_.

The boy who laid with her groaned as he stirred as Mikasa sat up, opening his eyes slowly and peering up to Mikasa with half-lidded eyes. They both shared a look of confusion before a smile tugged at Eren's lips as realization dawned on both of them.

Mikasa smiled too, reaching down to the rake a hand through his untamed hair before playing with a strand of it.

"Hey," he whispered, voice groggy and deep.

Mikasa hummed quietly in response as he sat up with her. Eren flinched a bit at the ache in his arms since they had gone numb from Mikasa lying on them as they slept. "What time is it?" He asked.

Mikasa blushed a bit at his deep voice, turning so that her blush wasn't so visible as she faced her phone. "8pm... w-we should head home."

Eren nodded. "You're right." He sat up completely and reached for his sweats, slipping them on swiftly before he grabbed his gray shirt and pulled it onto his body. Mikasa pouted a bit as Eren clothed his tan skin, but didn't say anything as she grabbed her own blouse and put it on. Then, she grabbed her jeans and lifted her hips off the seat to put them on, but her legs bowled a bit which made Eren chortle.

She turned to him curiously.

"S-Sorry," he said between his chuckles, "I just find it funny that _I_ did that to _you_."

Mikasa blushed as she looked down at her thighs which still quoke with sensitivity. "I can't help it... I'm really sensitive down here."

Eren nodded as he stepped out of the car to get into the driver's seat. "I know..." he murmured.

Mikasa was still blushing madly as she finished zipping up the fly to her jeans and maneuvering into the front seat of the car. She climbed into the seat and got comfortable before they both buckled their seatbelts and Eren started to drive away.

Mikasa sighed contently and laced her fingers through Eren's as he drove. There was a feeling in the pit of her stomach, except it wasn't of dread, but of bliss. It swelled wonderfully and left Mikasa smiling as she reveled in it.

 _'Holy shit,'_ she thought to herself. ' _What is this?_ ' She looked at Eren as he drove and when she saw the smile playing on _his_ lips, the feeling in her stomach swelled again and she finally realized what it is.

"Happy..." she murmured to herself.

"Hm? What was that?" Eren asked.

"I mean... I feel really happy right now," Mikasa admitted with a smile. Another look to Eren sent a blush bursting along the length of her face and she realized, now, in one of the sappiest ways ever, that _this_ is what she's been longing for. She thought she might speak again—tell Eren more about the sudden joy dancing around in her stomach—but then her words got lost in the kiss she gave Eren when they came to a stop at a red traffic light.

And then something clicked.

In the hours of a late Monday evening, Mikasa Ackerman had a realization and discovered the love of her life in a simple moment. It sounded wildly hyperbolic and sappy and overdramatic, but it was just as it sounded—Mikasa realized that she's in love with Eren Jeager.

Her heart lurched in her chest and this revelation had tears springing to her eyes. They rolled down her flushed cheeks and she wiped them away with a sniffle which had Eren turning to look at her with concern etched onto his features.

"Mikasa, Baby, what's wrong?" He asked, bringing a hand up to stroke through her dark locks.

"Nothing," Mikasa said as she wiped away another tear, "I'm not sad. I'm just... I'm happy." She looked up at Eren. "I'm in love."

Eren blushed at her certain assertiveness, but he didn't look away. "You are?"

"Yes. With you, Eren." She brought their conjoined hands up to her lips and kissed the back of his. "I love you, Eren."

Eren smiled. "I love you too, Mikasa."

The light turned green, but he didn't step on the gas just yet. He leaned over and pressed his lips to her forehead, the contact sending Mikasa's heart through a whirlwind of emotions. But they weren't bad—no, Mikasa could feel only bliss at that moment.

Then, an urgent honk from the car behind them had both of Eren's hands scrambling back to the steering wheel as he pressed on the gas and drove onward again.

Mikasa wiped away her final tear and looked down, still smiling madly. "Eren... if we were older, would you marry me?" It was an absurd concept to think about—yes, of course it is, they're only 17 and they're still in high school but, marriage?—but Mikasa still found herself wondering because she knew that she wants to stay by Eren's side forever.

"Of course, I will." Eren didn't miss a beat to reply.

Mikasa's smile impossibly widened. _Will_. Not would, _will_. He _will_ marry her.

And she _will_ marry him.

"Okay..." Mikasa replied, although she instantly mentally kicked herself right after for not sounding more expressive. Eren, however, seemed fine with it, because right after she spoke he laced his fingers through hers and brought their joined hands up to his lips, kissing the back of hers.

"Is this you proposing to me?" He snorted through a smirk.

Mikasa's blush impossibly deepened. "If... you want it to be," she murmured.

Eren's smirk formed into a smile. "Okay, then," he squeezed her hand, "when we become official adults, I will happily marry you, Mikasa Ackerman."

Mikasa's heart rate picked up and she smiled. Marriage. It's... alien to think about, really. Months ago, her mind was engulfed in darkness, she had been so close to her peak in depression and she was just waiting for that final straw to draw near so she could off herself. But now, she was thinking about marriage—about having a _future_.

She squeezed Eren's hand back.

A future with Eren.

"I'd like that," she admitted softly with a tiny smile.

They pulled up to Mikasa's house and she hopped out of the car, her face bright red as she bid Eren goodbye before she went inside her home. The minute she opened the door, she heard Levi and Petra's voices from the living room. She smiled as she walked forward and peered into the room to see the two in their usual position on the couch, curled together, and her smile instantly widened.

 _'A future_.'

"Hey, guys." Mikasa gave them her usual greeting, although her tone overflowed with mirth.

Levi peered over his shoulder to his sister and, to Mikasa's surprise, he was _smiling_. It's a rare sight to see, really. 'Levi Ackerman' and 'smiling' don't exactly how together, but on the rare occasion that they do, it's a nice sight to witness.

"Mika," he began, shifting so that he didn't have to crane his neck so much, "I have good news. It's about those two girls who posted the video."

Mikasa cocked a brow. She couldn't help but feel her mood sour at the mention of Annie and Hitch. "What about them?"

Levi's smile widened. "They've been expelled."


	35. Expulsion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OKAY I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY THAT MIKASA IS NOT PREGNANT. Some people may think that from the last chapter when "all Mikasa could feel was bliss", but no, Eren pulled out during sex so she isn't pregnant. There will be nO mEnTiOnS of teen pregnancy in this book, thank you very much.
> 
> Okay, that's it. Enjoy the chapter!

_Me_   
_Did you hear? About Annie and Hitch?_

_Eren_ 💗  
 _Yeah my mom just told me._  
 _Holy shit_  
 _They're fucking expelled_

_Me_   
_Ikr_   
_Omgomg it feels so weird to believe_

_Eren_ 💗  
 _They're finally fucking gone_  
 _It's amazing rly_

Mikasa smiled. It _was_ amazing. Her two bullies— _expelled_. Levi had told her how, when he and Mrs. Jeager went to the principal's office, they managed to get those two girls expelled. "Good riddance," Levi had said, and Mikasa couldn't agree more.

Currently, she was laying on her bed, hair damp and sticking to her skin due to the fact that she had just gotten out of the shower. She wore nothing but a long t-shirt (she refused to trust anyone who wore pants to bed) and fuzzy socks—the same ones Levi had gotten for her birthday a while ago.

And she couldn't help but feel...

Is excited the right word?

No, not excited— _euphoric_.

_Eren_ 💗  
 _Kind of off-topic: when should we have our wedding?_

Mikasa's brain nearly short-circuited. She'd nearly forgotten that she had practically _proposed_ to _Eren_ earlier that day, but now that Eren had brought it up, it was at the forefront of her mind.

_Me_   
_Spring._

_Eren_ 💗  
 _Spring?_

_Me_   
_I want it to be warm._   
_Plus, I don't like the idea of having a winter wedding in the cold_

_Eren_ 💗  
 _Why not the summer then?_

_Me_   
_Hmm_   
_Too hot_

_Eren_ 💗  
 _Wow, you must've been thinking bout this for a while huh_

_Me_   
_Oh shut up u_   
_Oh and just so you know if we have a daughter we're naming her Madeline_

_Eren_ 💗  
 _Madeline_?  
 _Why don't I get a say in this?_

_Me_   
_Because it'll be my uterus she'll come out of_

_Eren_ 💗  
 _And if it's a dude?_

_Me_   
_Uhh idk I didn't think that far_

_Eren_ 💗  
 _What about Eren jr?_

_Me_   
_No_

_Eren_ 💗  
 _Oh come on! You get to pick a name_

_Me_   
_Yours is narcissistic_

_Eren_ 💗  
 _Fine_  
 _How bout Maxwell?_

_Me_   
_Hmm_   
_I actually like that_

Mikasa smiled as she rolled onto her back. She felt oddly hot... down there. Maybe it was the shower?

_Me_   
_Hey what are you doing?_

_Eren_ 💗  
 _Lying in bed._

_Me_   
_Is that all?_

_Eren_ 💗  
 _..._  
 _Where is this going?_

_Me_   
_I'm not sure_   
_Where do you want it to go?_

_Eren_ 💗  
 _Would it be a bit weird for us to do that after talking about kid names tho?_

_Me_   
_Its only weird if you make it weird_

_Eren_ 💗  
 _All right I'll take u up on that_  
 _What are you wearing?_

Mikasa's heart swelled and the butterflies in her stomach awoke with a flutter. She smirked deviously.

 _Me_  
 _No,_ _how about I take it a step further?_

Three dots appeared where Eren's message would come in through, indicating him typing, but she didn't wait for the new text to pop up before she pressed the call icon right next to his name.

There was a ring, then another, then another, and then the _click_ that went through when someone picks up. Her smirk couldn't help but widen.

"Hey."

' _Shit_.'

Her smirk shrunk when she heard the huskiness to his voice. What the hell, did he _always_ sound this hot? Her impish confidence couldn't help but waver.

"H-Hey," she squeaked back. She cleared her throat, hoping that she didn't sound as nervous as she felt.

"You never answered my question," Eren began, his deep voice making shivers traverse throughout Mikasa's entire body. "What are you wearing?"

"O-Oh, uhh," she looked down at herself. "A t-shirt."

"Is that it?"

"And fuzzy socks."

"And?"

Mikasa looked down again. That was it. What should she say?

"Uhh, panties?"

There was silence and Mikasa's confidence wavered again. She couldn't help but worry that she already screwed this up before it really even started. Maybe he hung up?

A sigh that came from the other side told Mikasa that, no, he didn't hang up, and— _shit_ , hearing him sigh right next to her ear made her stomach tighten.

"You don't wear pants to bed?" Eren asked.

Mikasa shook her head, but then upon remembering that he couldn't see her, she said, "no, they're uncomfortable. Plus," she smirked dauntingly, "I _like_ to feel the sheets this way. Makes it real easy to feel the sheets like this."

Eren audibly swallowed and Mikasa used his silence to her advantage. "And you?" She asked.

"S-Sweatpants," he managed before he cleared his throat and continued, "and a shirt."

Mikasa frowned. "Oh." She couldn't help but sound disappointed.

"What? Is that not good enough for you?"

"No, take those pants off."

Eren went silent again before he exhaled into the receiver again. Mikasa shivered. She was on fire.

There's shuffling on the other side and Mikasa imagined Eren wriggling his way out of his pants. Then,

"If I take my pants off, you should take your panties off too, don't you think?"

It was then Mikasa's turn to audibly swallow when that question came through. She bit her bottom lip, reveling in the feeling of heat that started to surge between her thighs at Eren's assertiveness. She hummed in response in what she could only hope to sound like solidarity (in her mind, everything was starting to become a blur because of her, for lack of a better word, horniness), and she stuck her hand between her thighs, sandwiching her digits between her skin.

Not yet, she couldn't touch it _yet_.

"Are they off yet?"

Mikasa held her breath. Shit—she forgot what he had asked of her. She quickly scrambled to get her underwear off and when it was dangling on the tip of her right foot, she spoke again.

"Th-They're off now."

Eren hummed and Mikasa shivered again. She rolled onto her back and let her hand sit atop her stomach, lightly tracing over the fabric of her shirt.

"Okay, now-"

"Mikasa?"

Mikasa's movements instantly halted.

Eren must've heard the sudden voice that called her name because his sentence cut short, dangling in the air as Mikasa hurriedly got up and slipped her panties back on.

"I-Just a moment," she called back, walking towards the door and grabbing a pair of shorts from the floor. She slipped them on before she swung the door open, her side of the phone on mute.

On the other side was Petra, and she was smiling and blushing madly. "Levi just made dinner. You should come down and eat and we also want to talk with you about the expulsion."

Mikasa nodded, hoping that she didn't look as hot as she felt. "O-Okay, just give me a moment."

"Okay, we'll be waiting." And with that, Petra walked away and went downstairs.

Mikasa exhaled and removed herself from mute as she brought her phone up to her mouth. "Hey," she whispered.

"What happened?" Eren asked, concern seeping through his tone.

"Petra... she uhh... she and Levi want to talk to me," Mikasa admitted with a wince. "About the expulsion," she added. She worried that Eren would be mad (which, he had no reason to be mad, it's not like he couldn't jerk off when they hung up, but she still felt wary).

"Oh, that's fine. Don't let me hold you up," Eren replied.

Mikasa's mouth popped open incredulously. "You're not mad?"

"No, go ahead. It's okay," he said.

Mikasa smiled. "Thanks."

"Anytime. I'll see you at school tomorrow."

"Yeah. See you," Mikasa replied.

She hung up and frowned as she slipped her phone into the pocket in her shorts. She wished they had at least one more minute together—one more minute of her hearing his voice so close to her ear as though he were really there. She wished. She fucking _wished_.

But her wishing was useless.

With an acquiescing sigh, she began to trudge downstairs where Levi and Petra sat in the dining table. There were plates filled with food already set and glasses of water and Mikasa took a seat down at the empty chair.

"So, Mikasa," Petra began as she picked up her fork and began to pick at her food, "Levi and I have been talking and he also asked Mrs. Jeager and we were just wondering..."

"Wondering what?" Mikasa asked.

"Do you want to press charges?" Levi butt in bluntly, never really caring to beat around the bush like Petra had begun to do.

The minute Mikasa heard this question, her mouth popped open in incredulity. "What?"

* * *

Mikasa guesses—she can't help but assume so—that the only reason why she was so surprised about Levi's question is because she might've forgotten that what had been done to her was illegal. Maybe she was too consumed by the shock of it all that it never really fully processed that someone recording her having sex and posting it online without her consent was illegal in more ways than one (especially considering that she was 17, aka, a fucking minor, which meant it's child pornography).

But just because she forget didn't mean that others did too—those others apparently being Levi, Petra, and Eren's mom. Shit, maybe even _Eren_ fucking knew that, if they desired, they could sue Annie and Hitch.

This, she decided to bring up with Eren when she saw him at school during their lunch break the next day.

"Levi asked me if I should press charges against Annie and Hitch."

When she turned to him from where she sat in the cafeteria, munching on some baby carrots, and saw the genuine surprise in his face, she ruled out that, no, he maybe must've forgotten too.

She snorted a bit at his surprised expression.

"Wait, what?"

"Annie and Hitch. Levi's wondering if I want to sue them," Mikasa repeated. She bit into another one of her carrots.

Eren frowned. "Are you going to?"

Mikasa shrugged in response. "I wanted to ask you first since we're both the victim, essentially," she said. She leaned back on the bench she sat upon and frowned in thought.

"But do you want to?"

"I don't know," Mikasa shrugged again, leaning forward and taking another of her carrots.

"No, Mikasa, I mean, do _you_ want to?"

Mikasa instantly froze at Eren's tone. He sounded so serious—she couldn't help but look up at him and take in the seriousness to his expression.

"I... I uhh..." She blew out a breath through her mouth and leaned back again, eyes pointed to the ceiling before she closed them in thought.

' _Do I want to?'_

Honestly, she really didn't know.

"What they did is wrong, I know that," she decided to say, leaning forward once more. "But I guess... I don't know, I guess I just don't want to go through that." She grabbed the last baby carrot on her tray and popped it into her mouth. "The lawyers and court and stuff," she tacked on, waving her arms around vaguely.

Eren nodded. "Yeah, I get that." He popped open his water bottle. "But don't you at least, like, want to do something?" He asked right before he drank his water.

Mikasa nodded. "Of course I do. I just..." she looked downstairs and frowned, "I don't like being in court. It reminds me... it reminds me of my parents' death when I had to testify." She inhaled slowly after she spoke. Even after all these years, speaking of her parents' passing will _never_ come easily.

At this, Eren placed a hand on Mikasa's shoulder, squeezing the side of it before dropping his hand down against the length of her arm and letting his hand land at hers. Then, he laced their fingers atop the table together. "Oh, Mika... you don't have to," he murmured reassuringly.

Mikasa exhaled. She nodded. "Thank you, Eren." She squeezed his hand back through their conjoined hands and when's he looked down at them, she imagines two silver rights on their ring fingers.

She smiled.

"Thank you," she repeated again. "And... I think I will press charges."

She looked up to meet Eren's gaze. "Are you sure?"

Mikasa nodded. "Yeah..." She smiles and looked down again, her smile turning sad, "I want them to face the consequences of their actions."


	36. Preparations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> quick heads up; this chapter is the longest one yet, ranging a good solid 4k words, so just prepare yourself for this. Emotionally.
> 
>  **p.s.** i cried writing this chapter.

"You should know that what you're doing isn't easy," Petra said to Mikasa. She rubbed a soothing hand on Mikasa's back with a reassuring smile.

Mikasa exhaled a breath that had her chest shuddering. "I know," she murmured back.

"And you're sure you want to do this?" Levi asked.

Mikasa nodded. "I..." But then her voice trailed off and she turned to the boy beside her—Eren. He stood with his brown hair its usual unruly mess, although his clothing was much better than what he usually wore—being fancier. He gave her an encouraging nod and she smiled weakly as him, using her hand to hold his much bigger and somewhat tanner one. " _We're_ sure."

"Okay. So, you're going to go in there and the lawyer wants to talk with you two privately. Just answer all of his questions and you should be fine," Mrs. Jeager, who stood behind Mikasa and Eren, said.

Mikasa nodded. "Okay." She took a nervous step forward, Eren trailing behind her as they stepped into the office. There, in the middle of the large room, was a wooden desk, and sitting at the desk with a man in a sleek, grey suit.

"Ah, Mikasa Ackerman and Eren Jeager, I presume," he said, voice deep. "Come in and take a seat. I'm just going to ask you guys a few questions."

Mikasa nodded, unable to form any coherent words as she stepped forward again. When she and Eren sat in the chairs, Eren had to let go of her hand, and Mikasa frowned at the loss of contact.

"My name is Miche Zacharius, and you can call me Mr. Zacharius," he said, opening one of his desk drawers. He pulled out a file and placed it atop his desk before he took out a notepad and a pen. Then, he took out a document before he looked at Mikasa.

"I need you two to sign here. I know your guardians already did, but this is just for extra precaution," he said, sliding the document and the pen over to Mikasa and Eren's side of the table.

"Alright," Eren murmured, picking up the pen and signing on the dotted line. He gave the paper to Mikasa and she stared at the document before she eventually signed as well.

"Okay," the man said, taking back the pen and document, "I want you guys to tell me what happened. Then, from there, we can discuss further details. Also," he clicked his pen and opened the notepad to an empty page, "I will be recording this. Just so you know."

Mikasa nodded slowly, inhaling slowly and releasing that very same breath with a shudder. Her heart was racing incredibly fast and her tongue worked uselessly in her mouth, her lips moving wordless around phrases that she just couldn't say.

"It's okay," Mr. Zacharius said, eyeing Mikasa with a cocked brow. "Take your time."

Mikasa nodded slowly, closing her lips to swallow thickly as she lowered her eyes to the floor.

' _Think, Mika. What do you want to say?'_ She wondered. She forced herself to think back to when everything first happened which has her inevitably reminiscing on when she first saw the video and had a panic attack at her high school during lunch.

She swallowed hard, screwing her shut as she tried to block out the negative emotions that came with those memories, but they just kept flooding back to her.

But then, through her mental turmoil, she felt a warm hand enclose around hers. Her eyes popped open and when she looked down, she saw Eren holding her hand beneath the table where Miche couldn't see, and he gave her an encouraging nod.

She nodded back.

She was going to fucking _do this_.

"So," she began, looking up to meet Mr. Zacharius's gaze, "what happened was..."

* * *

"Are you sure you want to treat us _all_ out to dinner? You don't have to," Petra asked with a cock of her brow as Levi exited the highway to go onto the main road.

"Trust me, it's fine. Mrs. Jeager and I will split the bill, anyways," he said.

Petra frowned. "Let me split the bill too. You shouldn't have to pay for me when I'm a grown adult with my own money," Petra shoots back.

"Well, don't worry. It's not just me, but Mrs. Jeager will pay too."

"That just further proves my point!" Petra retaliated, pointing an accusatory finger in Levi's face with a frown. "She shouldn't have to pay for me, either!"

"Babe, just let me treat you-"

"I can pay for myself-"

" _Oh my gosh_ , just let us-"

"Will you two lovebirds be quiet?" Mikasa asked with a roll of her eyes. She looked up from her phone to peer up at Petra and Levi from where she sat in the backseat, frowning as she watched Petra's finger drop.

"Gosh," Mikasa grumbled out, although now she was smiling because now she could see the tiny blush that crept up on Petra's cheeks.

"Okay, so let us pay for you guys and that's final," Levi said.

Petra parted her lips in preparation to retort, but upon seeing Mikasa cock a brow at her in her peripherals, her retaliation slowly dying away on her tongue.

When Petra's retort failed to come, Mikasa let out a sigh of relief. "Finally," she muttered. "Man, you guys bicker like a married couple," she tacked on with a little snicker.

Mikasa thought she saw Levi stiffen in the corner of her eyes, but when she looked over and saw her brother looking perfectly normal save for the sudden redness that dusts across his cheeks, she shrugged away her earlier though with a hunch of her shoulders.

It wasn't long before Levi pulled into a restaurant, and right behind them was Eren's mother's car which parked a few spaces beside their car. They left the vehicle, and when Mikasa looked over to the other car she saw not only Eren and his mom, but his father too.

Mr. Jeager spoke with his wife with a smile, and when their conversation concluded, he gave her a quick peck before they walked to the front of the restaurant. Mikasa's heart warmed a bit at that sight and when she looked forward to see Petra and Levi conversing with each other—Levi smiling smally (which is rare, since Levi _never_ smiles) and Petra blushing lightly—Mikasa's heart lurched a bit.

She then turned to Eren, her cheeks suddenly pink, and when they made fleeting eye contact she felt her stomach churn wonderfully.

 _'I want us to be like them—I want us to be together and happy like them,_ ' she thought with a smile.

The six of them eventually reached the entrance and they all got a chance to greet each other, and Mikasa made sure to hug Eren extra tight when the adults weren't looking (not that she wasn't technically an adult—she'd be turning 18 in a week). They all entered the restaurant and went to take the seats at the table that Levi and Mrs. Jeager had booked for the six of them behind their backs.

"Oh, sweetheart, you didn't have to do this," Eren's father murmured softly to his wife. Mrs. Jeager only shook her head with a smile in response.

"Nonsense. This dinner is _very_ much needed. Plus," she nudged her husband in the side and nodded over at Mikasa who walked ahead of her, and Mrs. Jeager smiled knowingly, "this is a great opportunity to see how Eren interacts with his girlfriend."

Her husband's footsteps faltered in shock. "Wait, Mikasa and Eren are dating?" He looked completely confused.

Mrs. Jeager tittered at her husband's reaction. "Maybe, you would've known this if you spent more time at home." She mirthfully rolled her eyes.

"Ah, well, that's true. But now that I've dealt with all the mandatory work stuff, you have me all to yourself." He wrapped an arm around his wife's shoulder and the woman tittered again in response, rolling herself up on the tips of her toes to nudge her nose against his with a quiet hum.

"Mm, that sounds nice."

"Yuck, gross. Can you guys not do that in public?" Eren looked over this shoulder at his lovey-dovey parents and rolled his eyes at them.

His mother leaned down to twist her head and view her son. Then, she lowered her gaze to where Mikasa and Eren had instinctually held hands—since they've gotten so used to doing it, it just came naturally—and she smirked impishly.

Eren and Mikasa noticed her gaze before she could comment on it and pulled their hands away with a blush.

Mrs. Jeager giggled, shrugging her husband off her and deciding not to comment on the two teen's behavior.

"Alrighty, if you say so," she replied with a grin.

She followed Levi and Petra forward to their reserved table and Eren and Mikasa sat next to each other. They quickly ordered their drinks, and when their server came around with their beverages, they then ordered their meals.

"So, Mikasa," Eren's father began after he took a sip of his water, "forgive me if this is a bit too personal, but how long have you and Eren been dating?"

Mikasa felt herself stiffen, and Eren swore that he heard his mom stomp down on his dad's foot. When his father turned to look at his wife, utterly distraught, Eren concluded that, yes, that jolt of movement underneath the table was, in fact, his mother's doing.

"What the hell?" Grisha asked his wife in a hushed whisper.

"They're not open about it _yet,_ you can't just go around saying that!" She whisper-yelled back.

"Wait, Mika," Levi dropped his black tea to the table with a frown, "you and Eren are dating again?"

Petra's response to her boyfriend's question with a giggle.

"What?" Levi growled at his sweetheart.

"I can't believe that you _didn't_ know," she managed through her laughter. "It's _obvious_."

Mikasa flushed, and she leaned closer, her voice dropping to a whisper as she asked, "we're obvious?"

"Well, you're not inconspicuous," Mrs. Jeager replied. "Remember that time, I found you guys in the bathroom and you-"

"Oh, yeah we remember!" Eren blurted, his face heating up at the memory of when Mikasa came over to his house and they had made out in the bathroom. Of course, his mom didn't see their make-out session (or at least, he hopes she didn't), but the fact that his mom had found them afterward still made him heat up.

"Oh? What were you guys doing?" Petra asked with a teasing lilt to her tone.

Mikasa cleared her throat awkwardly. "I-It uh... it doesn't matter! Oh look, there's the waiter!" Mikasa said, turning to the male who walked over to their table with a tray laden with plates of food.

"Here are your meals," the aforementioned waiter said as he placed down the plates at the table. Everyone murmured their thanks and Mikasa mentally sent a thought of gratitude into the atmosphere to whatever God spared her the embarrassment of having to explain to Eren's parents, Petra, _and_ Levi what she and Eren had been doing.

"Ah, well, let's not dwell on the past. Today is a day of celebration," Mrs. Jeager said. "Because you two are finally figuring out a way to fix things." She gestured to the two teenagers seated across from her and Mikasa smiled bashfully.

"Yeah... we're fixing things," Mikasa murmured through her smile. She felt a tug on her fingers under the table and she looked up at Eren beside her to see him smiling at her, making her blush as a flurry of wonderful emotions swam in her stomach. She tugged back on his fingers before eventually twining their fingers together underneath the table.

The warmth of his hand sent a heat blazing up her spine for all the _right_ reasons.

Then, they all continued to eat, forming a comfortable conversation as they dined. It wasn't long before everyone was down to their last few bites of food when Levi cleared just throat and spoke up.

"Petra, I uhh..." He rubbed awkwardly at the nape of his neck, his throat going dry. "I know this is a day for Mikasa and Eren, but I just need to say something."

Everyone turned to look at Levi as his face grew warm. Petra was smiling. "Hm? What is it?" His girlfriend hummed.

"Well uh..." He grabbed onto Petra's hand atop the table and Petra's face warmed at the tiny gesture. "I love you, and I want... I want to stay with you forever. I'm not good at using my words, but uh..."

They watched as Levi slipped his hand away from Petra's and rose out of his seat. He fell onto one knee and Petra gasped, brown eyes flying wide as they followed Levi's movements. She was still smiling.

"Will you marry me?" He asked, trembling fingers fumbling for the something in his jean pocket only to fish out a sleek, black box. Levi flipped it open to expose a silver ring and he observed, with a twist of his stomach, as Petra's smile slid right off her face in place of a gaping mouth. Petra's lips moved uselessly around and Mikasa gasped, turning to Eren beside her and grabbing anxiously at his arm.

"Eren, Eren!" She whispered-yelled, unable to contain her excitement at the sight she's witnessing.

Eren nodded slowly. "I see it," he murmured back.

She turned back to watch as Petra stood up slowly, although her eyes grew impossibly wider as her face flushed red.

Mikasa felt herself hold her breath, grey eyes flitting between Levi on his knee, proposing, and Petra, dumbfounded.

"I-I..." Petra shook her head and Levi frowned. Mikasa felt her heart sink.

 _'No...'_ Mikasa thought with a churn of her stomach.

"Is she..." Eren began, his quiet voice trailing off.

"...saying no...?" Mikasa finished.

Eren looked around at the other people in the restaurant, watching the scene unfold with interest, before he looked back to Petra.

"Petra?" Levi asked, his voice unusually tiny and unsure. "Do you... want to marry me?" His voice cracked—he's scared. He thinks she'd say no.

But then Petra replied—she answered and her response had Mikasa gasping and Levi smiling and Petra, herself, crying.

"Yes."

Levi rose up and captured her in his arms, embracing her and holding her _tight_. Petra's arms flew out to wrap around Levi's torso, and as they hugged, applause burst to life around them.

"Woo!" Mikasa cheered, clapping so hard that her hands stung and smiling so wide her cheeks hurt.

The two adults slowly pulled apart and Levi slid the ring onto Petra's ring finger, and when he finished, the two look at each other before they kissed. It was chaste, quick, but still very _very_ affectionate.

"Congratulations!" A woman cheered from the table across them. Slowly, Petra and Levi lowered themselves back into their seats.

A waitress came by, holding a treat they usually give out for birthdays and other special occasions, and she smiled at the two newly-engaged couple before she placed the treat in front of them. "Congrats on your engagement," she said before she waltzed away.

Mrs. Jeager grinned as she looked at Levi and Petra. "I wish you two well for your relationship," she said.

Levi and Petra both nodded. "Thank you," Petra murmured.

And now, Petra was smiling again.

Mikasa tore her eyes away from the two adults after a few minutes as the applause around the restaurant died down and looked at Eren to her right. She squeezed the part where she held his arm and he looks at her, smiling just as wide.

They both shared the same look in their eyes; the type of look that seemed to scream message thing in particular, and one thing only.

The message: _'we're next to get married.'_

* * *

On Mikasa's way to school the next day, she and Eren decided to walk.

Levi and Petra were asleep after a long night of doing... _various activities_ , and Mikasa decided it'd be best not to wake them the day after their engagement and she decided to go with Eren.

Grisha had taken the car to work, meaning that they had no vehicle to take, so the couple today was walking.

They were ten, maybe fifteen minutes away when they rounded a corner with their hands joined and saw...

' _No...'_

Down the sidewalk was a girl, standing as tall as Mikasa...

' _'God no please.'_

...with thin lips drawn out into a fine line...

 _'No, please_ ** _fuck no_**.'

...and a white envelope in hand, her cheeks tear-stained, and her...

' _No!_ '

...her blonde hair tied behind her head in a messy bun.

Annie Leonhardt.

"What the fuck do you want?" Eren hissed, stepping forward and standing in front of Mikasa, almost protectively.

"I'm... I'm sorry," Annie muttered. "Look, here's some uh... a letter." She thrusted the envelope in their direction and turned her face away with a scowl.

Eren eyed the white slip before he found himself scowling as well. "We're not taking that."

The girl huffed. "Just fucking take it!" She cried, approaching them and shoving it onto Eren's chest. Mikasa found herself stepping out from behind Eren's figure—she has no reason to be scared of this girl anymore.

"What it is?" Mikasa finally asked, although she couldn't keep the waver out of her voice.

Annie looked down, both embarrassed and irritated. "An... apology. I wanted to write it to you..."

Mikasa cocked a brow. "A _what?_ " The incredulity in her voice was apparent.

"An apology!"

"Why should we believe anything you say?" Eren asked. "You're fucked up, okay? You fucked with Mikasa, and you got her suspended. But karma came back and bit you in the ass and now you're expelled, so don't come near us."

Annie frowned. She ducked her head to hide her face, but Mikasa caught the sight of tears shining in her eyes.

"I... wanted to apologize, okay? It's just... here, just take the letter. Read it or not, I don't care. I just need closure." And then she dropped the envelope and began to walk away.

Mikasa and Eren both stared at her retreating back before Eren finally retrieved the envelope from the sidewalk. They shared a look and Mikasa gave him a certain look that seemed to ask him a question, and he understood, giving her a brief nod as if to tell her to go on. She smiled in thanks before she dashed after Annie.

"Annie! Wait!" She cried. Annie kept walking. Mikasa heard her sniff and wipe furiously as her eyes before she finally swung around to face Mikasa.

Her cheeks were still tear-stained.

"What?" Annie hissed, rubbing awkwardly at her sore jaw. Even though Eren has punched her a couple of months ago, the place on her jaw still remained sensitive and slightly bruised.

"What do you..." Mikasa's voice trailed off. What _did_ she want to ask Annie? She had so many questions, really, but no way to word them and no courage to speak them. "What about Hitch?" She eventually asked.

"What about her?" Annie snapped.

"Where is she?"

Annie turned away, frowning, and Mikasa thought she might start to walk away and she'd have to chase after her again. But then she sighed. "She moved states. She's going to a college out of state anyways, and she didn't find the point in finishing the last two weeks of school here."

Mikasa furrowed her brows. "And you're fine with that?"

"We weren't close anyway," Annie harshly replied. "Just peers. She moved and I don't care, okay?"

Mikasa frowned, but nodded anyway. "Okay..."

They stood in silence before Annie started to walk away. Mikasa watched her retreating figure and felt her heart lurching with great expectancy. She had so many questions to ask, but no courage to voice them and no idea how to word them.

So she just watched as Annie rounded a corner and walked away. After a few seconds, Mikasa sighed and turned away, trucking down the sidewalk. She didn't get the closure she needed, but...

"Mika!"

Mikasa's head snapped up at the voice and when she saw Eren, her frown dissipated into a tiny smile.

...but at least she has the ones who she loves by her side, now.

With Petra and Levi's marriage soon, she'll have a sister-in-law. And after that, when she and Eren become adults, _they'll_ marry too. She'll be happy, euphoric, and even though she didn't get the closure she was hoping to get from Annie, she still feels fine.

If she was being honest, she doesn't even _know_ why she chased after Annie, but that's okay.

Everything's okay.

Everything's _perfect_.

"What happened?" Eren asked as he joined her. Mikasa shrugged, reaching down to lace her fingers through his.

"We talked," she simply replied.

"And?"

Mikasa shrugged again. "And... I feel fine."

Eren smiled, leaning over to kiss her forehead before they continued to walk to school. "That's good."

And then he extended the envelope to her and cocked a brow. "Do you want to read it?"

Mikasa looked down at the envelope. Did she?

She sighed.

She grabbed the envelope, shrugged her backpack off her shoulders, and slipped the envelope into her bag.

"Later," she replied as she tugged her backpack back on. "When I'm ready."

Eren nodded as they continued to walk, slightly squeezing her hand. "Okay then... take as long as you want, Mika. No one's rushing you."

Mikasa nodded, squeezing his hand back as her heart lurching again with joy.

When she's ready...

She looked up at Eren as they walked and smiled.

She'll be ready soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, in case you forgot, this book was originally on Wattpad before I decided to move it to ao3 for the sequel(s). This book was started in June of 2018, and it has been finished as of June of 2020. Honestly, finishing this book was sooo surreal, but now that Im on ao3, where I feel a bit more comfortable writing, I can make all the sequels I want :)  
> Thank you for sticking through the 36 chapters—I know it was a lot, but you did and, and thank you for that.
> 
> <3

**Author's Note:**

> yay, you made it to the end!
> 
> Now, for the sequel(s)  
> >:)


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